Bias Control Patents (Class 399/55)
  • Patent number: 9146505
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Yamashita, Yasuhiro Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9057976
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit controlling first and second voltage application mechanisms and shifting a difference Vdif (=Vrs?Vdr) between Vrs and Vdr toward polarity opposite to normal charge polarity of a developer as S decreases, where S is an absolute value of a speed difference between a circumferential speed of an image bearing member, which rotates while bearing an electrostatic latent image and a circumferential speed of a developer bearing member, which rotates at a constant circumferential speed ratio with respect to the image bearing member to develop the electrostatic latent image while bearing the developer, Vdr is a voltage that the first voltage application mechanism applies to the developer bearing member, and Vrs is a voltage that the second voltage application mechanism applies to the developer supply member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Yoshida, Yoshihiro Mitsui, Kodai Hayashi, Hisashi Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9052634
    Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developer carrying sleeve for carrying a developer to a position opposing an image bearing drum. The sleeve is provided with a plurality of groove portions extending in an axial direction of the sleeve, and a developing bias voltage applying device for applying a developing bias voltage to the sleeve. The bias voltage applying device is capable of outputting, as the bias voltage, a voltage of a waveform having a cyclic period including an AC bias portion having an AC component and a DC component superimposed thereto, and a blank portion following the AC bias portion and consisting of a DC component. A width L (m) of the groove, a peripheral speed Vs (m/s) of the sleeve, and a duration t1 (s) of the blank portion in one cyclic period of the bias voltage satisfy L/Vs<t1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Furukawa, Tomoyuki Sakamaki
  • Publication number: 20150139669
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a cartridge installing section in which a first cartridge and a second cartridge are selectively installable; and a controller. The first cartridge includes: a first case configured to contain a first developer; a first developing roller; and a first transport member configured to transport the first developer toward the first developing roller. The second cartridge includes: a second case configured to contain a second developer, an amount of the second developer being greater than an amount of the first developer; a second developing roller; and a second transport member configured to transport the second developer toward the second developing roller. The controller is configured to control a drive source to drive one of the first transport member and the second transport member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventor: Hikaru Yoshizumi
  • Publication number: 20150139674
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrostatic latent image bearer; a charger to charge a surface of the electrostatic latent image bearer; a power source to output a charging bias supplied to the charger; an electrostatic latent image writing unit to write an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrostatic latent image bearer charged by the charger; a developing unit including a developing member to develop the electrostatic latent image to obtain a toner image; a developing power source to output a developing bias supplied to the developing unit; a processor to adjust the charging bias output from the power source to a predetermined target value; and a storage unit to store an adjustment value algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroyuki SUGIYAMA, Shigekazu KOGUCHI, Masahiko SHAKUTO, Shinji MINAMI, Tomoko TAKAHASHI, Yoshinori NAKAGAWA, Ryuji YOSHIDA, Taichi URAYAMA
  • Patent number: 9037019
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, a magnetic roller, a capacitor, a transformer, and a control signal generating unit. The developing roller carries toner. The magnetic roller performs supply of toner to the developing roller and removal of toner from the developing roller. The transformer includes a primary side to which a capacitor is connected and a secondary side from which an AC voltage is output and applied to the developing roller. The control signal generating unit inputs a control signal to the capacitor and adjusts a DC bias value of the control signal so that a DC component of the control signal is the same before and after the change of the duty ratio of the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kensuke Fujihara
  • Patent number: 9025979
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier and the following elements. A charging unit charges the image carrier. An exposure unit exposes the charged image carrier to light and forms an electrostatic latent image. A developing unit generates a developing electric field and develops the electrostatic latent image. A transfer unit transfers the developed image. A controller outputs an AC setting signal. The developing unit includes a bias power supply source having the following elements. An output transformer includes a primary winding and a secondary winding. A switching circuit supplies a current to the primary winding. A current control circuit includes first impedance and second impedance. The first impedance is set when the AC voltage has a first frequency and the second impedance is set when the AC voltage has a second frequency, thereby controlling a current flowing between the primary winding and the switching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuya Sakurabayashi
  • Publication number: 20150104208
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a bias applying unit, a leak detecting unit, a bias controller and a leak detection controller. The developing device includes a magnetic roller and a developer layer. The bias applying unit applies development biases to the magnetic roller and the developing roller. The leak detecting unit detects a leak generated between the image carrier and the developing roller or a leak generated between the developing roller and the magnetic roller. The leak detection controller performs a leak detecting operation for detecting the value of an inter-peak voltage of the alternating current voltage of the development bias applied to the developing roller, at which the leak is generated, while changing the inter-peak voltage at a time different from that during the developing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Tamotsu Shimizu, Yukihiro Mori
  • Publication number: 20150104207
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging member, a charging bias power source, a developing member, a developing bias power source and a controlling device. The charging member electrically charged an image carrier. The charging bias power source applies a DC charging bias to the charging member. The developing member develops a toner image onto the image carrier. The developing bias power source applies an AC and DC developing bias to the developing member. The controlling device carries out, before image forming process, pre-charging control controlling the charging bias power source to electrically charge the image carrier. The controlling device carries out, after the image forming process is started, post-charging control controlling the charging bias power source and developing bias power source to adjust an electrical potential difference between a surface potential of the image carrier and developing bias to a significant electrical potential difference preventing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Shingo SAKATO
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9002226
    Abstract: A developing device which includes a developing roller which supplies a toner to a photoreceptor and a supply roller which performs supply of a toner to the developing roller and peeling of a toner from the developing roller, and applies a bias voltage to the developing roller so as to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor with a toner. The developing device includes a first current measuring portion which measures a value of a current flowing in the developing roller, a second current measuring portion which measures a value of a current flowing in the supply roller, and a control portion which calculates a toner charging amount on the developing roller and a toner peeled amount by the supply roller based on measured results by the first current measuring portion and the second current measuring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshimasa Hamada
  • 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: 8989639
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner carrying roller for carrying a toner, an image carrying member, contacting the toner on the toner carrying roller, on which a toner image is to be formed with the toner, and an electrode portion provided at an opposing position in which the electrode portion opposes the toner carrying roller via the image carrying member interposed therebetween. The toner image is formed on the image carrying member by changing a value of a voltage, on the basis of image information, applied to the electrode portion, and the toner carried on the toner carrying roller and the image carrying member contact each other in a toner contact area. The toner is moved between the toner carrying roller and the image carrying member in a toner movement area by changing the value of the voltage applied to the electrode portion, and the toner movement area is present downstream of the toner contact area with respect to a movement direction of the image carrying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunari Kobaru, Yasuo Yoda, Takahiro Uchiyama, Yoshiki Kudo, Takeshi Kawamura, Tatsuaki Orihara, Naoto Tsuchihashi, Hidetoshi Hanamoto
  • Publication number: 20150078773
    Abstract: When a toner charging amount for toner in a liquid developer conveyed to a development portion is set, a wet-type image formation apparatus performs a sensing operation in which a sensing unit senses image densities of a plurality of patch images formed at different development biases with the toner charging amount being set to a constant value, and a setting operation in which, in a case where a control unit calculates current development characteristics based on the image densities of the plurality of patch images sensed by the sensing unit, and determines that the current development characteristics are not included within a set target range, the control unit controls a charging unit to set the toner charging amount such that the development characteristics are included within the set target range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Takeshi MAEYAMA, Atsuto HIRAI, Yuuya SATO, Makiko WATANABE
  • Patent number: 8983320
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent-image bearing body, a charging unit, a latent-image writing unit, a development unit, a development power, and a bias control unit. After a start of an image forming operation, the bias control unit performs a process of constantly maintaining an output of a development bias at an adjustment bias value. The adjustment bias value is a central value in a periodic fluctuation range of the output of the development bias. At a timing at which a difference of the development bias from the adjustment bias value in the periodic fluctuation range is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the bias control unit performs switching from the process of constantly maintaining the output of the development bias at the adjustment bias value to a process of periodically changing the output of the development bias based on development bias control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shingo Suzuki, Satoshi Kaneko, Tetsuya Muto, Shuji Hirai, Shinichi Akatsu, Keita Gotoh, Yuuichiroh Uematsu
  • Publication number: 20150071663
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a charging power supply used in applying, to a charging unit, a charging voltage for the purpose of electrostatic latent image formation and a charging bias voltage during a cleaning operation; a developing power supply that is capable of outputting a developing bias voltage of positive polarity and negative polarity to a developing unit; a constant-voltage generating-holding unit that is used in generating and holding a constant potential difference between the charging unit and the developing unit; a developing power control unit that performs output control of a developing bias voltage with respect to the developing unit; and a charging power control unit that, when the developing power control unit performs control to output a developing bias voltage of reverse polarity to the charging unit, performs output control of the charging bias voltage of a predetermined level with respect to the charging power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventor: Yu YOSHIOKA
  • Patent number: 8977150
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photoconductor, a charging unit, an exposure unit to expose the photoconductor to reduce an electrical potential at the photoconductor, a developing unit to charge the toner held on a toner bearing member with friction and attract the toner to the exposed portion on the photoconductor by supplying a development voltage from a first power source and using an electrical potential difference between the toner bearing member and the photoconductor in the development area, a reverse development voltage controller to supply a reverse development voltage while a non-charged portion on the photoconductor passes the development area, and a developer reducing potential applier to supply a development restraining potential and an absolute value smaller than a target charging potential to the photoconductor while the reverse development voltage is supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin Yamamoto, Shin Murayama, Yoshio Sakagawa, Yuji Nagatomo
  • Patent number: 8977151
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having; a latent image support member; a latent image forming unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the latent image support member; a developer support member for supplying toner to the latent image support member to develop the electrostatic latent image; a voltage applying device for applying a developing bias, which is a superimposed voltage of a DC voltage and an AC voltage, to the developer support member; a first selecting device for selecting a screen ruling; and a second selecting device for selecting a frequency of the AC voltage. The second selecting device selects a first frequency when the first selecting device selects a first screen ruling, and selects a second frequency lower than the first frequency when the first selecting device selects a second screen ruling higher than the first screen ruling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Kunio Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20150063849
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a high-density portion and a low-density portion are arranged close to each other such that a boundary between the high-density portion and the low-density portion intersects with the conveyance direction of a density detection patch. A controller compares, in the conveyance direction, temporal change in the density detection value at a boundary portion shifting from the high-density portion to the low-density portion, with temporal change in the density detection value at a boundary portion shifting from the low-density portion to the high-density portion, and sets a process condition based on a result of the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Hideki Ishida, Hiroki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8971741
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hidetaka Mitsunobu
  • Publication number: 20150055965
    Abstract: An image forming unit forms a plurality of measurement images based on a plurality of process conditions. A measurement unit measures the density of each of the plurality of measurement images. A determination unit uses a first determination mode or a second determination mode. In the first determination mode, a process condition is determined from a first measurement result higher than target density and a second measurement result lower than the target density, from among a plurality of measurement results. In the second determination mode, the process condition is determined from measurement results lower than the target density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventor: Makoto SAITO
  • Patent number: 8953963
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, a magnetic roller, a capacitor, a transformer, and a switching portion. The magnetic roller supplies toner to the developing roller or takes off the toner from the same. The capacitor is connected to a primary of the transformer, and the developing roller is connected to a secondary of the same. During a period while the voltage between electrodes of the capacitor is changing, the switching portion changes the duty ratio in a predetermined second time slot in which current flowing in the switching portion is smaller than that flowing in a first time slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Nakagawa, Tadahiro Kiyosumi, Kensuke Fujihara
  • Patent number: 8948637
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming part that forms a first developer image representing an image by using a first developer; and a second image forming part that forms a second developer image serving as a base or covering of the first developer image by using a second developer. In a case where the first developer image and the second developer image are superimposed and formed on an image-formed body by the first image forming part and the second image forming part, amount of the first developer that is used to form the first developer image is increased as compared to a case where the first developer image is formed on the image-formed body by the first image forming part without being superimposed with the second developer image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotaka Ohshika
  • Patent number: 8948632
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a photosensitive member; a conveying member; an exposure head; a developing unit; an image forming unit; a concentration sensor having a first detection width in a conveyance direction and a second detection width in an axial direction of the photosensitive member; and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls the exposure head and the image forming unit to form a first image for correction, which includes a straight line part extending in the axial direction of the photosensitive member and having a length equal to or larger than the second detection width of the concentration sensor, on the conveying member, and wherein the control unit corrects a developing bias to be applied to the developing unit based on a detection result of the first image for correction by the concentration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junichi Yokoi
  • Patent number: 8948638
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier; a latent image writer to write a latent image on the latent image carrier; a developing unit including a toner carrier having first and second electrodes insulated via an insulator member and a voltage applying unit to apply voltages to the first and second electrodes having a potential difference to generate first electric fields to cause the toner to hop from the toner carrier to the latent image carrier to develop a toner image; and a transfer unit to transfer the developed toner image to a transferring member. When alternating voltages having a same phase and same amplitude are applied to the first and second electrodes to form second electric fields between the latent image carrier and the toner carrier, the toner is discharged from the toner carrier to the latent image carrier in a toner discharge mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Ishikura, Yasuyuki Ishii, Hideki Kosugi, Tetsuro Hirota, Masaaki Yamada, Yoshiko Ogawa, Atsushi Kurokawa, Hideyasu Seki, Masanori Horike, Shin Kayahara
  • Patent number: 8934799
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a first voltage application section for applying a first bias to a magnetic roller, a second voltage application section for applying a second bias to a developing roller, and a controller for controlling the voltages of the first and second voltage application sections and the driving/rotating of the magnetic roller and the developing roller. When no image formation is taking place, the controller can execute a toner collection mode in which, with the first and second biases set at the same potential and the second bias set lower than the voltage applied to an image carrying member, the magnetic roller is rotated in the direction reverse to that in which it is rotated during image formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Akihiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8929756
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, a magnetic roller, a capacitor, a transformer, a switching section, a control section, a temperature detecting section, and a storage section. When changing the duty ratio of a control signal in multiple sequential steps, the control section determines the resonance period based on the temperature and temperature characteristic data and changes the duty ratio of the control signal to the next step during a changing time slot which is one of the first and second halves of a period of voltage fluctuation of the capacitor based on the determined resonance period, the one half in which the current flowing through the switching section is smaller than in the other half of the period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8923716
    Abstract: A transfer device includes an image carrier that carries a toner image; a nip forming member that forms a transfer nip between the nip forming member and the image carrier by contacting with a front surface of the image carrier; and a transfer bias applying unit that applies a transfer bias, thereby transferring the toner image carried on the image carrier to a recording material at a position of the transfer nip. The transfer bias applying unit applies the transfer bias in which an AC component and a DC component are superimposed and in which a peak-to-peak voltage of the AC component is larger than 6 times an absolute value of a voltage of the DC component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Keigo Nakamura, Haruo Iimura, Shinji Aoki, Yasuhiko Ogino
  • Patent number: 8918007
    Abstract: A power supply apparatus outputs a developing voltage in which a pulse wave shape at a time of positive amplitude is different from a pulse wave shape at a time of negative amplitude. Voltages are supplied from two switching regulators respectively to a bridge circuit for driving a transformer. Here, an absolute value of a difference between a drive frequency of a first switching regulator and a drive frequency of a second switching regulator is configured to be not less than an invisible frequency at which a banding cannot be recognized by humans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomohiro Tamaoki
  • Publication number: 20140369705
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developer carrier, a toner carrier, a bias voltage control unit, and a detection unit. The developer carrier carries a developer layer. The toner carrier supplies toner to the image carrier. The bias voltage control unit changes bias voltage setting from ordinary developing mode to toner removing mode when the detection unit detects toner adhesion in excess of a threshold value on the toner carrier. In the toner removing mode, the bias voltage control unit sets the bias voltage to be applied to the image carrier, the developer carrier, and the toner carrier in such a manner that only the additive remains on the circumferential surface of the toner carrier, and the developer layer carried on the developer carrier comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the toner carrier with a large force, as compared with the ordinary developing mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventor: Kenshi Matsui
  • Patent number: 8903257
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an electrostatic latent image support member; an electrostatic latent image forming section; a developer support member; a first voltage applying device for applying a developing bias voltage that is a superimposed voltage of a first DC voltage and a first AC voltage to the developer support member; and a controller for controlling the first voltage applying device. The first voltage applying device is controlled to stop an output of the first AC voltage at a first frequency, to change the first DC voltage outputted therefrom from a first voltage value to a second voltage value and to start an output of the first AC voltage at a second frequency, in this order. The controller selects a screen ruling for each page in accordance with image data and determines the output from the first voltage applying device in accordance with the selected screen ruling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Kunio Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20140348521
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier, a charging device, a latent image forming device, a developing device, a transfer device, a toner amount detector, and a control circuit to execute an imaging condition determination process. The control circuit obtains a linear approximation formula of a developing potential and an amount of toner according to an exposure potential of the patch pattern and a detected amount of toner to calculate a developing gamma and a developing start voltage according to a gradient of the linear approximation formula, determines target charging potential, exposure potential and developing bias according to the developing gamma and the developing start voltage, determines an amount of a background potential to be corrected according to a difference between the developing start voltage and a target developing start voltage obtained according to environmental information, and corrects the target charging potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Ryusuke MASE, Taichi URAYAMA, Tomoko TAKAHASHI, Shotaro HOSHI, Ryuji YOSHIDA, Hiroyuki SUGIYAMA, Masahiko SHAKUTO, Hideki ZEMBA, Takamasa OZEKI, Yoshinori NAKAGAWA
  • Patent number: 8897681
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier to carry a latent image, a developing device having a toner carrier with first and second electrodes to develop the latent image by transferring the toner to a developing region between the toner carrier and the latent image carrier while causing the toner to hop between the first and second electrodes and attaching the hopping toner to the latent image, a pulsed power supply to output a first periodic pulse voltage having a mean potential the same as a normal toner charge and a second periodic pulse voltage, a smoothing circuit to make the first periodic pulse voltage smooth to generate a direct voltage, and a toner layer thickness regulator member to regulate, on receiving the direct voltage, a thickness of the toner layer in a region between a toner supply position at which toner is supplied and the developing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hirota, Hideki Kosugi, Masaaki Yamada, Atsushi Kurokawa, Hideyasu Seki, Yasuyuki Ishii
  • Publication number: 20140341597
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier to carry a latent image on a surface thereof, a developing device to develop the latent image with toner to form a toner image on the surface of the latent image carrier, a transfer unit to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium, and a controller. The controller executes an image density adjustment control of adjusting a developing bias to obtain a target image density. The controller further executes a forced toner consumption control of forcibly consuming the toner contained in the developing device by attaching the toner to the latent image carrier to form a toner pattern on the surface of the latent image carrier. The controller executes the forced toner consumption control to forcibly consume a smaller amount of toner in response to a higher developing bias as adjusted by the image density adjustment control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Taichi URAYAMA, Ryuji Yoshida, Tomoko Takahashi, Shotaro Hoshi, Hiroyuki Sugiyama, Ryusuke Mase, Masahiko Shakuto, Takamasa Ozeki, Hideki Zemba, Yoshinori Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20140334837
    Abstract: A supply member of this wet type image forming apparatus has a surface rotating in a direction the same as a surface of a developer carrier at the same peripheral velocity at a portion abutting to the developer carrier. A control unit causes toner particles on the supply member to move to the developer carrier by providing a potential difference between the developer carrier and the supply member and controls an amount of toner particles on a latent image carrier by controlling electric power of a first charging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Atsuto HIRAI
  • Patent number: 8886072
    Abstract: A PWM generating unit may include a base duty setting register configured to store a base duty value that is set thereto, and a PWM generator to obtain a corrected duty value by correcting the base duty value based on first correction data and second correction data, and to generate a PWM signal according to the corrected duty value. The first correction data may be computed from a rotation period of a first rotational body, and the second correction data may be computed from a rotation period of a second rotational body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 8879938
    Abstract: A developing device of the present disclosure has a developer bearing member, a toner bearing member, a bias controller. With respect to a duty ratio of the alternating current bias of a polarity with which the toner is moved from the developer bearing member to the toner bearing member, a second duty ratio that is a duty ratio of the collection bias is set to be smaller than a first duty ratio that is a duty ratio of the development bias. When a transition is made from the development operation to the collection operation, in a state where the developer bearing member and the toner bearing member are being driven to rotate, the bias controller performs control so that the bias applier applies the alternating current bias having a third duty ratio that is smaller than the first duty ratio and larger than the second duty ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Eiji Gyotoku
  • Publication number: 20140321869
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, a magnetic roller opposed to the developing roller so as to form a magnetic blush, a high voltage power supply including a transformer having secondary side outputs one of which is connected to the developing roller while the other output is connected to the magnetic roller, so as to apply AC voltages to the developing roller and the magnetic roller, a detection portion for detecting occurrence of discharge between the developing roller and the photoreceptor drum, a restriction portion for restricting movement of toner from the magnetic roller to the developing roller, and a moving portion configured to move the restriction portion in discharge start voltage detection mode so as to restrict toner movement to the developing roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Kensuke FUJIHARA
  • Patent number: 8873980
    Abstract: A developing device includes a development roller, a magnetic roller, a transformer, a switching portion, output control portion and a capacitor. The development roller is opposite a photoconductor drum. The magnetic roller performs, with a magnetic brush, the supply of a toner to the development roller and the removal of the toner. The transformer generates an alternating-current voltage applied to the development roller. The switching portion passes and interrupts a current to the transformer. The output control portion stepwise changes, when a duty ratio in switching is changed, the duty ratio a plurality of times from a first duty ratio to a second duty ratio. The capacitor has one end connected to the transformer and the other end connected to the switching portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Kensuke Fujihara, Akihiro Watanabe, Nobuyuki Fuchimoto
  • Publication number: 20140314434
    Abstract: At detection device, in the case where the toner on the developing material carrier is caused to adhere to the first electrode, the controller connects the assembly to the first capacitor using the first switch and connects the assembly to the second capacitor using the second switch; and in the case where the second detection unit detects the oscillation frequency of the quartz oscillator, the controller disconnects the assembly from the first capacitor using the first switch and disconnects the assembly from the second capacitor using the second switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiro SHIGEMURA, Shingo Horita, Masaaki Naoi, Megumi Uchino, Mineto Yagyu
  • Patent number: 8862005
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier, a container that contains a developer including a toner, developer transport members disposed so that peripheral surfaces thereof face the latent image carrier, a power supply that supplies voltages to the developer transport members, a detector that detects a toner concentration of the developer, and a controller. The controller performs control so that the power supply supplies to the developer transport members, when the toner concentration detected by the detector is higher than a predetermined upper limit, voltages having waveforms that generating a potential difference therebetween that causes the toner concentration of the developer distributed to a most downstream developer transport member to decrease and the toner concentration of the developer distributed to at least one of the developer transport members that is disposed upstream of the most downstream developer transport member to increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Abe, Shota Oba, Tomio Onuki, Sakae Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20140301749
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that reduces density irregularity caused by SD gap variation. A developing bias voltage for forming a developing electric field between a photosensitive drum and a developing sleeve is applied to the developing sleeve. A rotational period of the photosensitive drum is divided into a plurality of blocks, and current values are acquired for each block. An average value of the acquired current values for each block is stored until the photosensitive drum is rotated a predetermined number of times, for each of the predetermined number of times of rotation. A moving average value of the average values in each block is calculated, and a correction table for correcting the developing bias voltage to be applied in each block is created using the calculated moving average values, and the developing bias voltage is controlled based on the created correction table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro Fukusaka, Hiroshi Saito, Shigemi Kumagai, Yoshitaka Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20140301750
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that reduces density irregularity caused by SD gap variation. A developing bias voltage for forming a developing electric field between a photosensitive drum and a developing sleeve is applied to the developing sleeve. Current values of an AC component of the developing bias voltage are detected while changing the acquisition timing for each rotation of the photosensitive drum, and detected current values are interpolated and averaged at each same phase with reference to the time of detection by the drum home position sensor HP. From the averaged current values of the variation curves of the developing bias AC current over the plurality of rotations, a correction table for an output control signal of the developing bias voltage is created. The developing bias voltage is controlled based on the created correction table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tetsuro Fukusaka
  • Patent number: 8855508
    Abstract: Provided are an image forming apparatus that, when a difference between a developing bias in correcting an image density and a reference developing bias has a value not less than a prescribed value that is set preliminarily, replenishes or consumes a toner forcibly, executes correction of the image density again, and controls the developing bias in such a manner that a toner density is controlled to fall within an appropriate range, and an image forming method using the same. When a difference between a developing bias value after correction of the image density and the reference developing bias becomes larger than the prescribed value to the plus side or the minus side, a toner density control portion performs control to consume or replenish a toner forcibly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideji Saikoh, Masayasu Narimatsu, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kazuma Hinoue
  • Publication number: 20140294407
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a developer storage portion; a developer bearing member; a toner replenishing device that replenishes toner to the developer storage portion; a power supply that supplies an AC voltage or a voltage in which a DC voltage and an AC voltage are superimposed to the developer bearing member at least during an image forming period; and a controller that performs control such that a scattering toner discharge control mode in which the DC voltage only is applied to the developer bearing member in a non-image forming period so as to generate force such that normally charged toner moves from the developer bearing member to the image bearing member so that the toner is discharged from the developer bearing member to the image bearing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoki Mugita
  • Publication number: 20140270828
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent-image bearing body, a charging unit, a latent-image writing unit, a development unit, a development power, and a bias control unit. After a start of an image forming operation, the bias control unit performs a process of constantly maintaining an output of a development bias at an adjustment bias value. The adjustment bias value is a central value in a periodic fluctuation range of the output of the development bias. At a timing at which a difference of the development bias from the adjustment bias value in the periodic fluctuation range is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the bias control unit performs switching from the process of constantly maintaining the output of the development bias at the adjustment bias value to a process of periodically changing the output of the development bias based on development bias control data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Shingo SUZUKI, Satoshi KANEKO, Tetsuya MUTO, Shuji HIRAI, Shinichi AKATSU, Keita GOTOH, Yuuichiroh UEMATSU
  • Publication number: 20140270826
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developer carrier, a magnetic field generation unit that is fixedly disposed in a hollow part of the developer carrier and includes a plurality of magnetic poles disposed in a circumferential direction of the developer carrier, a conductive member disposed so as to oppose a predetermined magnetic pole, of the plurality of magnetic poles, which is located odd-number pole upstream of a magnetic pole corresponding to a developing area D in a rotational direction of the developer carrier, a power source that can apply a voltage to the conductive member, a potential detection unit configured to detect pre-development and post-development potentials of a predetermined image formed on the image carrier, and a changing unit configured to change the voltage to be applied from the power source to the conductive member based on a detection result obtained by the potential detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenta Kubo, Tetsuya Atsumi, Tomohito Ishida, Megumi Uchino, Shunichi Takada
  • Patent number: 8837959
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a toner supplying unit to supply the toner to a storage unit. A mixer supplies developer in the storage unit to a developing roller, and a developer sensor detects the amount of developer on the surface of the developing roller. A toner concentration sensor detects toner concentration in the developer stored in the storage unit, and a control unit adjusts at least one of a developing bias and a rotation speed of the mixer based on a value detected by the developer sensor and a value detected by the toner concentration sensor, such that a printed image has uniform density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Otsuka, Soon-cheol Kweon, Ki-hwan Kwon
  • Publication number: 20140255053
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming part that forms a first developer image representing an image by using a first developer; and a second image forming part that forms a second developer image serving as a base or covering of the first developer image by using a second developer. In a case where the first developer image and the second developer image are superimposed and formed on an image-formed body by the first image forming part and the second image forming part, amount of the first developer that is used to form the first developer image is increased as compared to a case where the first developer image is formed on the image-formed body by the first image forming part without being superimposed with the second developer image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotaka OHSHIKA
  • Patent number: 8831451
    Abstract: The developing device includes a toner layer formation control unit instructing a voltage control unit to set a first voltage difference to form a toner layer on a surface of a toner supporting rotator, a stripping control unit that instructs the voltage control unit to, in a toner layer stripping mode, set a second voltage difference that moves substantially an entire amount of toner composing the toner layer to a developer supporting rotator, and a density detection unit detecting the toner density on a transfer member onto which a toner image is primarily transferred. When the toner remains on a surface of the toner supporting rotator, the stripping control unit causes the toner to fly to the surface of the image carrier, while outputting an instruction adjusting the second voltage difference to the voltage control unit in order to reduce the toner density detected by the toner density detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kenshi Matsui