Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member that rotates and is subjected to exposure so that a latent image is formed thereon, a driver that rotates the photosensitive member, an exposure section that exposes the photosensitive member by irradiating the photosensitive member with light, a light intensity adjustment section that receives a part of the light from the exposure section and adjusts intensity of the light irradiated by the exposure section, and an adjustment controller that causes the driver to start rotating the photosensitive member and causes the light intensity adjustment section to start adjusting the intensity of the light after a rotation speed of the photosensitive member exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member a surface of which is rotated, a charging device, an irradiating device, a developing device, a transfer device, and a control unit. The control unit controls the image forming apparatus to perform subsequent image formation in accordance with a subsequent image forming request when determining that the subsequent image forming request is present at a predetermined determination time after completion of previous image formation, and controls the image forming apparatus to shut down certain predetermined operations including at least rotation of the surface of the latent image bearing member and application of a charging bias from the charging device and a developing bias from the developing device in accordance with a predetermined shutdown sequence when determining that the subsequent image forming request is not present at the predetermined determination time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus disclosed includes a body, a cover to open and close an opening of the body, a plurality of photosensitive members provided in the body, a light scanning device to irradiate a light beam to the plurality of photosensitive members, the light scanning device including a plurality of passage windows corresponding to the plurality of photosensitive members, and a shutter device to open and close the respective passage windows in accordance with opening and closing movements of the cover.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, when backside contamination of a recording material occurs, a control portion carries out control so that a plurality of restoring toner bands having a length L1 longer than a circumference L3 of a secondary transfer roller is formed at an interval L2 at positions in which the restoring toner bands can overlap with control images with respect to a longitudinal direction of the secondary transfer roller and then is transferred onto the secondary transfer roller through an intermediary transfer belt. The restoring toner bands transferred onto the secondary transfer roller stagnate on a fur brush rubbing against the secondary transfer roller to remove an electric discharge product deposited on the secondary transfer roller. The toner stagnating on the fur brush is inverted in charge polarity and then is re-transferred onto the intermediary transfer belt through the secondary transfer roller.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for an image forming apparatus including a line head array that forms an image by illuminating one or more illumination elements in correspondence with image data. The image processing apparatus includes a detection part configured to detect a linear image extending in a sub-scanning direction in the image data, and an adjustment part configured to adjust a density of the linear image so that the energy used in illuminating the one or more illumination elements for forming the linear image is reduced compared to the energy used in forming the linear image without adjusting the density of the linear image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of suppressing occurrences of image defects and maintaining the image density constant while improving the development ability. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is carried, a developing sleeve on which developer is carried, an AC high-voltage drive circuit, an AC transformer, a DC high-voltage circuit, a p-p voltage detection circuit, and a CPU. The p-p voltage detection circuit converts a peak-to-peak voltage across a capacitor into a DC voltage which is taken out as a capacity detection signal. Based on the capacity detection signal output from the p-p voltage detection circuit, the CPU changes an image formation condition, e.g., a set value of a developing bias voltage.

Abstract: A determining unit determines whether a difference between a temperature value and a temperature detected by a temperature detecting unit is equal to or larger than a first value. A pattern forming unit, when the determining unit determines that the difference is equal to or larger than the first value, forms a pattern for measurement including sub-patterns of a plurality of colors on a transfer medium. A calculating unit calculates a misregistration-amount for each sub-pattern based on a detected position of the sub-pattern and a predetermined position of the sub-pattern. A correcting unit corrects a position on which the sub-pattern is to be formed based on the misregistration-amount. An image forming unit forms an image for each color factoring in corrected position for each color.

Abstract: A frequency adjusting unit adjusts a frequency of the clock signal to be supplied to a drive unit when an image is to be formed on the second face in response to a contraction ratio of the printing material on which an image has been formed on the first face. The phase difference determining unit determines a phase difference between the clock signal corresponding to the first face and the clock signal corresponding to the second face in response to a frequency difference and a sign thereof between the clock signal corresponding to the first face and the clock signal corresponding to the second face. The change control unit changes from the clock signal corresponding to the first face to the clock signal corresponding to the second face.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide an image forming apparatus including: an image carrier; a latent image forming unit; a developing unit; a fixing unit; a toner cartridge; a battery in the toner cartridge; a temperature sensor in the toner cartridge driven by the battery; a first controller which causes the temperature sensor to measure an ambient temperature periodically in the toner cartridge and be supplied with power from the battery; a recording medium which is provided in the toner cartridge and records a result of measurement by the temperature sensor in timing controlled by the first controller; and a second controller which reads out information recorded in the recording medium, and changes an operating condition of the latent image forming unit, the developing unit and the fixing unit according to a state of preservation of the supply of toner, based on the information.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming part, a detection part, an arithmetic part, a storage device and an image quality maintaining control part. The image forming part forms an image quality maintaining adjustment pattern on a transfer belt to convey a sheet. The detection part detects the image quality adjustment pattern. The arithmetic part calculates, based on a detection result of the image quality maintaining adjustment pattern obtained by the detection part, image quality maintaining information for forming an image of desired image quality. The storage device stores the image quality maintaining information before the image forming apparatus transitions to a sleep mode. The image quality maintaining control part reads the image quality maintaining information from the storage device and controls the image forming part based on the read image quality maintaining information before the image forming apparatus returns after the sleep mode is released.

Abstract: One embodiment of a sheet transport apparatus is provided with a sheet transport path for transporting a sheet in a predetermined transport direction, a reflective type optical sensor in which light irradiated from a light-emitting portion to a transported sheet is reflected and reflected light from the sheet is received by a light-receiving portion to detect a presence/absence of the sheet, an irradiated light adjustment portion that adjusts a light amount of the light-emitting portion, a non-image region locating portion that detects an image state on a sheet to locate a non-image region of the sheet, and a control portion that adjusts the light amount of the light-emitting portion by controlling the irradiated light adjustment portion based on a measured value on the non-image region located by the non-image region locating portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of keeping reproducibility and gradation in balance and outputting high-quality images. A primary electrostatic charger charges a photosensitive drum. A polygon scanner irradiates the drum with a laser beam to form an electrostatic latent image on the drum. A developing device develops the latent image into a toner image by applying a developing bias to the drum. In performing development by the developing device at a preset environmental contrast potential, a CPU determines a required contrast potential for obtaining a target maximum density. The CPU compares between the environmental contrast potential and the required contrast potential. Further, the CPU sets an upper limit value for a set contrast potential to be set to the developing device according to the result of the comparison, and sets an output level of the laser light to be output from the developing device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that can improve image quality by correcting for variations in the potential characteristics of a photosensitive member and enhance the responsiveness of an image forming operation. The photosensitive member is rotated by a drive unit and exposed to light from an exposure unit. A first generation unit periodically generates a first signal. A second generation unit generates a second signal. A plurality of generation periods of the second signals are included in one generation period of the first signal. A control unit, while the photosensitive member is controlled to accelerate, counts the second signals in response to input of the first signal, identifies an exposure position when the photosensitive member is switched from the acceleration control to constant-speed control, reads correction data corresponding to the identified exposure position from a storage unit, and controls the light quantity of the exposure unit.

Abstract: A first mark and a second mark are provided on a photosensitive drum and a rotation reference position sensor detects these marks. A counter is reset according to a detection signal corresponding to the first mark, and is incremented its count value according to a detection signal corresponding to the second mark. A CPU controls an exposure intensity based on light amount correction data read from a memory according to the counted value.

Abstract: In a disclosed image forming apparatus, a developing bias applied to a developer carrier or exposure energy with which an image carrier is exposed is adjusted such that an isolated one-dot image on the image carrier has a predetermined image density. When the image carrier is exposed to form dot images continuously arranged in a main scanning direction, the exposure time period for each dot image is shorter than that when the image carrier is exposed to form the isolated one-dot image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a light source that emits a light beam; a photosensitive member; a brushless motor including a stator and a rotor; a rotary polygon mirror rotated by the brushless motor; an energization switching unit that turns on/off energizations of the coils; a voltage detecting unit that outputs a detection signal based on induced voltages generated in coils of the stator by rotation of the rotor; and a motor controlling unit that controls the turning on/off of the energizations by the energization switching unit based on the detection signal. In a non-image forming period after one image forming operation, the motor controlling unit performs a low-speed process where the motor controlling unit maintains a rotation speed of the brushless motor at a speed, which is lower than a speed in the image forming operation, and at which the induced voltages are detectable by the voltage detecting unit.

Abstract: A pair of registration rollers are provided upstream in a paper transport path from an image forming position, and a paper transport position detection portion is provided upstream in the paper transport path from the pair of registration rollers. When consecutive print processing on a plurality of sheets of paper is performed, a paper transport position in the paper transport path is detected by the paper transport position detection portion for a sheet of paper that has been set in advance among the plurality of sheets of paper. A correction amount of a position for image writing to a photosensitive drum is determined based on the paper transport position, and correction of the image writing position is performed based on the correction amount.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus controls an output of a light source for forming an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier. The optical scanning apparatus includes a correction amount control unit configured to variably control a light quantity correction amount of the light source according to a scanning position on the image carrier during one scanning operation with a beam generated from the light source, an output signal level changing unit configured to change a level of an output signal from the correction amount control unit, and a light quantity control unit configured to control a light quantity of the light source according to the scanning position based on a signal from the output signal level changing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a job-content recognition device for judging whether a number inputted as the number of print copies to be made is larger or smaller than a predetermined reference value; a print-data recognition device for judging whether or not inputted print data include image data and/or graphic data; and a control device for controlling executions of image stabilization control in a printing section. The control device sets a predetermined period as intervals among executions of the image stabilization control, and sets a period shorter than the predetermined period as the intervals among executions of the image stabilization control when the number inputted as the number of print copies to be made is larger than the predetermined reference value and also the inputted print data include image data and/or graphic data.

Abstract: An apparatus to form plural images on an image conveyor includes plural photoconductor bodies, a light exposure device, a development device, a transfer device, and a pattern detection device, wherein the light exposure device includes an optical scanning part, a first light detection part having a first light receiving face, a second light detection part having a second light receiving face being non-parallel to the first light receiving face, a third light detection part having a third light receiving face being non-parallel to the first light receiving face, the optical scanning part, the first light detection part, and the second light detection part being provided inside a housing of the light exposure device, the third light detection part being provided outside the housing, and a light exposure timing control device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a first photosensitive member and a second photosensitive member that are arranged side by side along a moving direction of a transfer member, the first photosensitive drum being disposed at an upstream position with respect to the moving direction of the transfer member and the second photosensitive member being disposed at a downstream position; a light source for emitting a beam; and an optical system for directing the beam emitted from the light source to the first and the second photosensitive drums. The optical system comprises a switching optical element that is capable of turning into a first state to direct the beam emitted from the light source to the first photosensitive drum and into a second state to direct the beam to the second photosensitive drum, and a condition, A+B1?B2>F+E×D is satisfied.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image forming unit forming an image on a sheet with an image forming property, a pattern forming unit forming a pattern on an object, a detection value determining unit determining a first detection value representing the image forming property of the image forming unit through detecting the pattern formed on the object by the pattern forming unit, a storage unit storing thereon the first detection value determined by the detection value determining unit, a correction value determining unit determining a correction value for correcting the image forming property with the first detection value stored on the storage unit and a second detection value that has previously stored on the storage unit, and a control unit controlling the image forming unit to form the image with the image forming property corrected based upon the correction value determined by the correction value determining unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light source unit, an image carrier on which a latent image is formed by a light beam emitted from a light source, a developing unit configured to develop a latent image formed on the image carrier using a toner, an intermediate transfer unit on which a toner image developed by the developing unit is transferred, a heating unit configured to heat the intermediate transfer unit on which a toner image is transferred, a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image heated by the heating unit on a recording medium, a temperature detection unit configured to detect temperature of the intermediate transfer unit, and a control unit configured to control a magnification of a latent image to be formed on the image carrier according to a detection result of the temperature detection unit.

Abstract: A lens array includes: a lens array substrate having a light transmissive property; a first lens disposed on the lens array substrate; and a second lens disposed on the lens array substrate in a first direction from the first lens and different from the first lens in peripheral shape.

Abstract: This invention provides an image forming apparatus, which attains a uniform gloss level of an overall image by preventing regions having different gloss levels from being generated on the image to be formed upon execution of image formation using a transparent toner, and a control method thereof. To accomplish this, an image forming apparatus of this invention identifies pixels to be developed using only a black toner of colored toners from an image signal of an image to be formed on a printing material upon execution of image formation using the transparent toner. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus executes exposure control so as to perform development using the transparent toner in an amount required to reduce a gloss level difference between the pixels to be developed using only the black toner and those to be developed using the colored toners other than the black toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a control section which stores detection results of a toner sensor regarding detection patterns. When forming a plurality of detection patterns on an intermediate transfer belt, the control section determines circumference-directional lengths of the detection patterns formed this time, based on the detection results of the toner sensor regarding the detection patterns formed immediately before. Thereby, the waste toner amount and toner consumption are not only decreased but also the time taken to detect the density of a detection pattern is reduced, while maintaining the detecting accuracy thereof.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging device, an image bearing member, an electrostatic image forming device, a development device including a developer bearing member, a transfer device, and a controller. The controller controls a potential of the image bearing member such that, during image formation to form an image on a recording material having a predetermined size, an absolute potential value (V1) of a region on a surface of the image bearing member outside a region corresponding to a passage region for a recording material in a width direction orthogonal to a movement direction of the surface of the image bearing member, an absolute potential value (V2) of a non-image portion in the region corresponding to the passage region for the recording material, and an absolute potential value (Vdc) of the developer bearing member satisfy the following condition: Vdc<V1<V2.

Abstract: The invention provides an exposure apparatus having a configuration such that, when a single laser light source having a plurality of light-emitting points is driven by a plurality of laser control apparatuses, mutual monitoring of the control state of the respective laser control apparatuses is possible, thus reducing malfunctions due to the effects of noise, and also provides a method to control this exposure apparatus, and an image forming apparatus. To accomplish this, the exposure apparatus does not execute light amount control of the light source to be driven when the determination unit has determined that another driving unit is causing the light source to be driven to emit light, and executes the light amount control of the light source to be driven when the determination unit has determined that another driving unit is not causing the light source to be driven to emit light.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus including: a photoconductor provided with a charge generation layer and an overcoat layer; a first charging unit charging the photoconductor when an image is formed; an exposure unit irradiating the photoconductor with light having a wavelength to which a relative sensitivity of the charge generation layer is larger than a relative sensitivity of the overcoat layer; a development unit developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor by the first charging unit and the exposure unit with toner; a transfer unit transferring an image developed on the photoconductor to a medium; a light irradiation unit irradiating the photoconductor with light having a wavelength to which the relative sensitivity of the overcoat layer is larger than the relative sensitivity of the charge generation layer; and an erasing unit erasing a charge from the photoconductor irradiated with light by the light irradiation unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that is operable at a plurality of image forming speeds and can be constructed at low costs without adding circuits or the like. A conversion circuit converts image data into lighting patterns for turning on/off laser light on a basis of each of units of auxiliary pixels formed by dividing a pixel as an image forming element. A shift register sequentially stores lighting patterns for pixels pixel from the conversion circuit, and sequentially outputs them to a laser drive circuit. In monochrome printing, the rotational speed of a polygon motor is set to perform a printing operation. In color printing, the difference between an image forming speed for the monochrome printing and an image forming speed for the color printing is calculated, and based on the difference, the amount of insertion of pixel pieces using the shift register is determined for a printing operation.

Abstract: An electrophotography apparatus prevents the edge effect without causing the blurring or loss of a single-dot image or a single-dot-width line. Based on a measurement of a testing patch, two templates with different sizes are generated. Image data to be printed is subjected to template matching using the templates to obtain a difference region as an image edge region of the image data where, when the image data is developed, the amount of attached toner is increased. The exposure amount for the image edge region is controlled based on a measurement of the amounts of attached toner in edge portions of the testing patch so that the difference in the attached toner amounts are minimized.

Abstract: In an optical scanning apparatus, a light source includes a plurality of light emitting elements. A light beam output from the source is scanned and deflected by a polygon mirror so as to form an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a light sensitive member. A control unit controls the source so that the source outputs the light beam in a first period before a second period in which the light beam deflected by the mirror forms the image. During the first period for outputting the light beam from the source a period for scanning a non-image region of the member in a state in which the rotation speed of the mirror is being accelerated or decelerated is made longer than a period for scanning the non-image region of the member in a state in which the rotation speed of the mirror is controlled at a constant speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a profile storage section that stores distortion characteristic of a scanning line, a correcting section that corrects image data by lines in the sub scanning direction, and a registration sensor that detects a pattern image for detecting color misregistration amounts in a sub scanning direction of images formed on an intermediate transfer member. When the pattern image is formed, the distortion correcting section shifts image data of the pattern image by lines in the sub scanning direction so that, with reference to a detection position of the registration sensor, a positional displacement amount of the pattern image in the sub scanning direction becomes less than or equal to ½ of a scanning-line distance, in accordance with a positional displacement amount of the scanning line in the sub scanning direction at a detection position of the registration sensor along a main scanning direction.

Abstract: The apparatus is adapted to deflect a light beam from a laser light source for each of the color components by means of a deflection mirror surface which oscillates, thereby making the light beam reciprocally scan in a main scanning direction. In this apparatus, however, only a light beam SL which scans in a first direction (+X) of the main scanning direction is irradiated in an effective image region on a photosensitive member, so as to form a latent image thereon. The resultant latent image is developed to form a toner image. Since image formation is performed using only the light beam SL which scans in the first direction (+X), the images may be formed at the consistent density irrespective of the image types. Furthermore, the scanning directions of the light beams SL for all the color components are uniformly defined to be the first direction (+X), so that the toner images of the respective colors may maintain the consistent density.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, an exposure device performs exposure on a non-image area of image pattern, performs an exposure on the image area in an exposure amount lower than the non-image area or does not perform exposure, and an exposure amount control device controls, with respect to pixels having the same density data, an exposure amount given by an exposure device to be smaller in a first portion, which is a thin-line of a width that is equal to or less than a predetermined number of pixels or which is an isolated dot of widths that are equal to or less than the predetermined number of pixels in two directions substantially orthogonal to each other, than in a second portion which is a line of a width exceeding the predetermined number or a surface of widths that exceed the predetermined number in two directions substantially orthogonal to each other.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to improve an image formation throughput. An image forming apparatus of this invention times a time required until an image formation is ready to start after a reference signal is output, and executes the image formation when the image formation is ready to start (for example, initial processes are complete). Furthermore, when the next reference signal is output during the image formation, the image forming apparatus executes an image formation of the next color after a waiting process based on the timed time.

Abstract: A exposure head includes: a light-emitting element substrate including a first light-emitting element configured to emit light, a second light-emitting element disposed in a first direction of the first light-emitting element, a third light-emitting element, and a fourth light-emitting element disposed so as to satisfy the following relationship; Dr12:Dr23=1:m (l?m) where, l: positive integer number, m: positive integer number, Dr12: distance between the first light-emitting element and the third light-emitting element in the direction orthogonal to the first direction, Dr23: distance between the third light-emitting element and the fourth light-emitting element in the direction orthogonal to the first direction, and an imaging optical system configured to image lights emitted from the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, the third light-emitting element, and the fourth light-emitting element.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: an exposure head having a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a first direction, a first imaging optical system adapted to image light emitted from the light emitting elements, and a second imaging optical system disposed in a second direction with respect to the first imaging optical system; a latent image carrier movable in the second direction; a detection section adapted to detect a moving time the latent image carrier takes to move from a first position to a second position in the second direction; and a control section adapted to control the time from emission of a first part of the light emitting elements adapted to emit light to be imaged by the first imaging optical system to emission of a second part of the light emitting elements adapted to emit light to be imaged by the second imaging optical system based on the detection result of the detection section, thereby aligning a latent image formed on the latent image carrier by the first imaging optical sy

Abstract: An exposing device which radiates light on a photoconductor drum which rotates, thereby executing exposure, includes a light-emitting element unit including light-emitting element having an emission area which emits light that is generated, the emission area having a rectangular shape with a long side along a direction perpendicular to a rotational direction of the photoconductor drum, and a short side along the rotational direction, a lens unit which focuses the light, which is emitted from the emission area, on a peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum, thereby executing exposure, and forming on the peripheral surface a beam spot, and a driving circuit which causes the light-emitting element to emit light, thereby making a width of the shape of the beam spot in a direction along the rotational direction close to a width of the beam spot in a direction perpendicular to the rotational direction.

Abstract: A light-emitting device includes: a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light in response to driving signals; a control unit that adjusts the timings at which the driving signals are supplied to a plurality of blocks each composed of one or more light-emitting elements to generate control signals for indicating the timings at which the driving signals are supplied for every block; and a plurality of driving units that are provided for the blocks and supply the driving signals to the light-emitting elements belonging to the corresponding blocks on the basis of the control signals.

Abstract: A correction method for correcting unintended spatial variation in lightness across a physical image produced by a xerographic process, the method comprising producing a test image using the xerographic process, measuring a difference between actual lightness and intended lightness across at least part of the test image, and varying the light source level used subsequently in the xerographic process to correct for the measured unintended difference.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a first image forming unit that transfers a base toner image formed on a first image carrier to an intermediate transfer member and forms an image and second image forming units that are plurally disposed downstream of the first image forming unit in a moving direction of the intermediate transfer member, transfer different color toner images formed on second image carriers to the intermediate transfer member and form images. The base toner image is formed beforehand in a single color region transferred onto the intermediate transfer member from the second image carriers of the second image forming units.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms high precision full color image by correcting the adhesion quantity of an image visualizing agent and a position shift of a visible image while performing printing process. The image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer unit; plural photoconductors; plural charging units; plural exposure units; plural developing units; plural first transferring units; and plural second transferring units. The intermediate transfer unit has a correction pattern image formed in a region outside a predetermined maximum document region in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction. A detector in the intermediate transfer unit detects the correction pattern image. A correction controller performs correcting, based on detection results of the detector, setting values of one or more of the charging units, the exposure units, and the developing units when a region corresponding to an interval between the visible images passes a position beneath one of the units.

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.

Abstract: A method and system for compensating for an image quality defect in an image printing system comprising at least one marking station, the at least one marking station comprising a charging device for charging the image bearing surface, an exposing device for irradiating and discharging the image bearing surface to form a latent image, a developer unit for developing toner to the image bearing surface, and a transfer unit for transferring toner from the image bearing surface to an image accumulation surface is provided. The method includes sensing the image quality defect on an image bearing surface by an electrostatic voltmeter (ESV) in the image printing system and determining the frequency, amplitude, and/or phase of the image quality defect by a processor. In one embodiment, the method includes compensating for the image quality defect by modulating the power of an exposing device during an expose process.

Abstract: An exposure device is provided that has a light emitting unit having a plurality of light emitting elements and a lens array having a pair of lenses having a first lens and a second lens, the lens array having a shielding unit for shielding a light from any one of the pair of lenses, wherein a formula EC<EP/2 is satisfied, where EP denotes an interval between two adjacent light emitting elements of the plurality of light emitting elements and where EC denotes an off-set between a central axis of the first lens and a central axis of the second lens.

Abstract: A method, system, and manufacture for adjusting electrostatic charges in a laser printer. A charge is applied to a photoconductor drum surface to create a dark voltage. An image area of the photoconductor drum is exposed with a printhead using a defined energy level to discharge the charge from the image area. An exposure voltage of the photoconductor drum is measured after the image area has been exposed. A first optimization is performed to determine an adjusted dark voltage and an adjusted energy level based on the measured exposure voltage and the dark voltage and the energy levels applied to the photoconductor drum. An applicator voltage is applied to an applicator that applies toner to the exposed image area of the photoconductor drum. Toner density applied to the photoconductor drum is measured and a second optimization is performed to adjust the applicator voltage to produce a target toner density.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising a photosensitive body, a charger configured to charge the photosensitive body, an exposure unit configured to expose the photosensitive body charged by the charger, a developer transport section configured to cause relative movement with respect to the photosensitive body for transporting developer therebetween, a current measurement section configured to measure a current flowing between the photosensitive body and the developer transport section, and a determination unit configured to compare a current with a threshold, the current measured by the current measurement section when the photosensitive body and the developer transport section move relatively to each other and a first area of the photosensitive body that needs to be exposed faces the developer transport section, and determine whether an exposure of the photosensitive body is proper based on a result of the comparison.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which makes it possible to resolve correction error of potential unevenness caused by insufficient mounting accuracy of an image carrier, in a relatively short time period without performing a conventional operation for removing the image carrier. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, an exposure unit, an electrical potential sensor, a shading data ROM, and a CPU. Electrical potential data items associated with respective positions on the surface of the photosensitive drum are stored in the shading data ROM. The CPU corrects an exposure amount onto the photosensitive drum by the exposure unit, based on the electrical potential data read from the ROM, and based on the result of correction, adjusts timing for reading out the data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of varying a transferring force according to an amount of developer, thereby improving transfer quality, and a control method thereof. The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photoconductive media on which electrostatic latent images are formed, a transfer unit onto which color developer images respectively developed on the plurality of photoconductive media are transferred and superimposed in sequence, and a controller to control in a manner that electric potential differences between image areas and non-image areas of the electrostatic latent images vary in an order in which the color developer images are transferred.