| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 399071000 | Control of cleaning | 74 |
| 20090196646 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF SUPPORTING CLEANER - A technique of easily detaching a cleaner with a simple configuration is provided. At the time of drawing out a drawing unit, an elastic supporting section is allowed to move against the pressing force of the elastic supporting section to a position where the elastic supporting of the cleaner is released by a support releasing section. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20100074645 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE CONTROLLING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; toner image formation means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; removing means for removing deposited matter deposited on the image bearing member; detecting means for detecting a toner image to be detected, formed on the toner image formation means; control means for controlling a toner image forming condition of the toner image forming means in accordance with a result of detection of the toner image to be detected by the detecting means; the apparatus being operable in a mode in which the removing means operates to remove the deposition, and the detecting means operates to detect the toner image to be detected, executing means for executing an operation in the mode; and an operating portion for manually starting execution of the operation in the mode by the executing means. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100074644 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof, the control method including applying a minimum current to a light emitting element, and applying one or more higher currents, up to a maximum current, to the light emitting element, if a light receiving element fails to detect light emitted by the light emitting element. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100104310 | APPARATUS FOR PRINT ASSEMBLY BLADE DEFLECTION DETECTION - An apparatus ( | 04-29-2010 |
| 20090148177 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus provided with a cleaning device including a cleaning blade in contact with an image carrier with contact pressure for removing the toner remaining on the image carrier; a toner guide roller which is located upstream of the cleaning blade in the rotating direction of the image carrier and which rotates in contact with the image carrier; a toner ejection regulating member in contact with the toner guide roller to eject the remaining toner appropriately; and a space formed by the enclosure of the image carrier, cleaning blade, toner guide roller and toner ejection regulating member for the purpose of storing the remaining toner; and this image forming apparatus further includes a control device that controls the cleaning device so as to change the peripheral speed ratio of the toner guide roller with respect to the image carrier, in response to change in the system speed. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20120213542 | Image Forming Apparatus, Image Forming Method, and Recovery Device - A developing roller which comes into contact with a latent image carrier drum on a first side with respect to an imaginary vertical plane passing through the rotation center of the latent image carrier drum, thereby developing a latent image which is carried on the latent image carrier drum by a liquid developer that includes toner and carrier liquid is provided, and a squeeze roller which comes into contact with the latent image carrier drum developed by the developing roller on a second side on the opposite side to the first side with respect to the imaginary vertical plane further on the upper side in the vertical direction than an imaginary horizontal plane passing through the rotation center of the latent image carrier drum and perpendicular to the imaginary vertical plane, thereby squeezing an image developed to the latent image carrier drum is provided. | 08-23-2012 |
| 20130045022 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CLEANING SYSTEM USABLE WITH IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD THEREOF - A method of cleaning an image transfer blanket of an image forming apparatus is disclosed. The method includes establishing a temperature of a cleaner roller having a cleaner receiving surface to receive a cleaner layer in a first predetermined temperature range. The method also includes placing the cleaner layer disposed on the cleaner receiving surface in contact with the image transfer blanket and removing surface contaminants from the image transfer blanket to the cleaner layer. | 02-21-2013 |
| 20130084095 | CLEANING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A cleaning device and an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing staying of toner in a brush and reducing stress on a brush by discharge products are provided. A cleaning device includes upstream and downstream cleaning brushes and a cleaning roller, which respectively contact the surface of a secondary transfer belt, and first to third bias applying sections. The first bias applying section applies a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the normal toner to the upstream cleaning brush. The second bias applying section applies a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the normal toner and set to be not less than the absolute value of the bias voltage applied to the upstream cleaning brush, to the downstream cleaning brush. The third bias applying section applies a bias voltage having the same polarity as that of the normal toner to the cleaning roller. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20090304407 | VARIABLE INTERFERENCE CLEANING BLADE METHOD - A control method for monitoring the cleaning performance of a single or multiple blade xerographic cleaning subsystem includes looking at the photoreceptor post-cleaner with a full width array sensor and adjusting the blade load on the photoreceptor to the minimum required to maintain effective cleaning. Blade load is adjusted using a stepper motor. Monitoring of cleaning failures can be done during non-print time, when a toner patch is developed to evaluate cleaning. Re-adjustment is needed periodically since environmental stresses can change, and the blade ages due to set and wear. Two toner patches at the ends of the blade with two stepper motors can be used to assure the same load from end to end. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090304406 | METHOD FOR ADJUSTING CLEANING BLADE LOAD ON A PHOTORECEPTOR - A method for controlling a xerographic single or multiple blade cleaning subsystem includes sensing the actual cleaning blade load against a photoreceptor with a transducer and adjusting it to a desired value. A feedback loop through a stepper motor will set the desired load by changing blade to photoreceptor interference. This will correct for the effects of piece part tolerances, blade modulus changes with environment and set with age. A single transducer and positioning system can achieve the desired average blade load, or one at each end can also keep the load even from end to end. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090232536 | Image Forming Apparatus and Image Forming Method - An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing section which develops the electrostatic latent image using a liquid developer, forming an image on the latent image carrier; a transfer medium to which the image on the latent image carrier is transferred; a first transfer member which transfers the image on the latent image carrier to the transfer medium; a second transfer member which transfers the image on the transfer medium to a recording material; a latent image carrier cleaning roller which, as well as making contact with the latent image carrier, forming a nip having a first nip width in a moving direction of the latent image carrier, has a latent image carrier cleaning bias applied thereto, cleaning the latent image carrier, the image of the latent image carrier on which has been transferred to the transfer medium; and a transfer medium cleaning roller which, as well as having a transfer medium cleaning bias applied thereto, cleaning the transfer medium, the image of the transfer medium on which has been transferred to the recording material, makes contact with the transfer medium, forming a second nip width, which is larger than the first nip width, in a moving direction of the transfer medium. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20100232824 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus comprises: a rotatable image carrier operable to carry a toner image on a surface thereof; a transfer part operable to electrostatically transfer the toner image carried on the surface of the image carrier, onto a transfer material; a cleaning member that is in contact with the surface of the image carrier and that is operable to clean toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier after transfer by the transfer part; and a voltage supplier operable to apply, to the cleaning member, a bias voltage that is for cleaning the surface of the image carrier and that has a polarity opposite to a normal charging polarity of the toner. Here, application of the bias voltage by the voltage supplier starts before rotation of the image carrier starts, and when Vr>0, 0| 09-16-2010 | |
| 20100266308 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a transfer medium with a developer includes: an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, the developer is supplied to develop the electrostatic latent image, and an image to be transferred onto the transfer medium is formed, the image bearing member having surface hardness of 150 N/mm to 220 N/mm in a universal hardness value (HU); a developing device configured to supply the developer to the image bearing member; a cleaner configured to be brought into press-contact with the image bearing member at press-contact linear pressure x in a range of 16.7≦x≦22.0 [mN/mm]) and collect components of the developer remaining on the image bearing member after the image is transferred onto the transfer medium; and a lubricant containing fatty acid metal salt arranged at a distal end of the cleaner being in contact with the image bearing member, at an arrangement amount y in a range of 25≦y≦100 [ng/mm] to satisfy a condition y≧12.5x-207.5. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100034549 | POLARITY CONTROLLING DEVICE, AND CLEANER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE POLARITY CONTROLLING DEVICE - A polarity controlling device for controlling polarity of residual material on an image bearing member, including a blade, to which a first voltage is applied and which has a contact edge contacted with the surface of the image bearing member to charge the residual material, wherein the contact edge is covered with a resin layer including an electroconductive material. A cleaner including the polarity controlling device; a brush contacting the image bearing member to electrostatically collect the charged residual material utilizing potential difference; a collection member contacting the brush to collect the residual material; and a cleaning blade contacting the collection member to scrape the residual material therefrom. An image forming apparatus including an electrostatic image bearing member; a developing device developing the electrostatic image using a developer including a toner to form a toner image; a transfer device transferring the toner image onto a receiving material; and the cleaner. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20120033986 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; toner image forming portion for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; a transfer member for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a transfer material; a cleaning blade for removing a toner remaining on the image bearing member after transfer while being contacted to the image bearing member; a rotatable member, provided upstream of the cleaning blade, for carrying the toner and rotationally sliding on the image bearing member; a separating mechanism for removing the toner from the rotatable member in contact with the rotatable member, wherein the separating mechanism includes a toner sump for accumulating the toner in an area adjacent to the rotatable member so that the toner removed from the rotatable member is suppliable to the rotatable member; and a controller for controlling at least one of the toner image forming portion and rotatable member so that an amount of the toner in the toner sump is estimated and kept in a predetermined range. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20100067934 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS MANAGING A WASTE LIQUID TANK - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming part to form an image by injecting a liquid. A waste liquid tank is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus to store a waste liquid discharged from the image forming part. The waste liquid tank has a memory element to store identification information A and waste liquid amount information B. A memory unit stores identification information C and waste liquid amount information D. A control unit determines a current amount of the waste liquid currently retained in the waste liquid tank at a predetermined timing in accordance with the identification information A and the waste liquid amount information B stored in the memory element and the identification information C and the waste liquid amount information D stored in the memory unit, and updates the current amount of the waste liquid in accordance with a subsequent operation of the image forming part. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20090087206 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: an image holding body that is rotatable, and holds a first toner image and a second toner image; an image forming unit that forms the first toner image and the second toner image on the image holding body; a transfer unit that transfers the first toner image onto a transfer medium; a cleaning unit that has a cleaning member for freely coming into contact with and separating from the image holding body, and that brings the cleaning member into contact with the image holding body so as to clean a residual toner remaining on a surface of the image holding body; and a cleansing control unit that controls forming the second toner image for cleaning the cleaning member, opposing between the cleaning member and the second toner image, and cleaning of the second toner image by the cleaning member that is in a contact state with the image holding body. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090060554 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE USED THEREIN - An image forming apparatus includes multiple imaging units and a controller. The multiple imaging units each include a photoconductor, a charging device, a developing device, a retractable cleaner, and a cleaner retraction mechanism. The charging device charges the photoconductor for forming an electrostatic latent image thereon. The developing device develops the electrostatic latent image. The retractable cleaner cleans the charging device when in contact with the charging device. The cleaner retraction mechanism is configured to bring the retractable cleaner into contact with the charging device. The charging device and the photoconductor are installed and replaced in conjunction with each other. The controller calculates a photoconductor usage of each of the multiple imaging units, and individually controls the cleaner retraction mechanism in each of the multiple imaging units according to the calculated photoconductor usage. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20100080602 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier carrying a latent image, a charging device uniformly charging a surface of the image carrier, an exposure device performing, in accordance with image data, an exposure operation on the charged image carrier surface to write the latent image, a development device supplying toner to the latent image to develop a visible image, a transfer device transferring the visible image to an intermediate transfer member or a recording medium, a lubricant application device applying lubricant to the image carrier surface, a cleaning device cleaning the image carrier surface after a transfer operation, a fixing device fixing the transferred image on the recording medium, and a control device controlling, in accordance with recent print information, the operation in a lubricant application mode in which the lubricant application device applies the lubricant to the image carrier surface. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20110268466 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CLEANING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: an image holder on which a toner image is formed; a lubricant applying section which applies a lubricant to the image holder; a torque calculation section which calculates torque of a drive motor which drives the image holder; a cleaning section which cleans the image holder; and a control section which calculates a print rate of the toner image formed on the image holder, makes determination of an adhering lubricant amount of the lubricant adhering to the image holder based on the print rate and the torque, and forms a toner image of a toner forcibly-discharging-pattern or increases an applied lubricant amount of the lubricant applied to the image holder by the lubricant applying section according to the determination. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20100111557 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a carrier configured to carry developer; a voltage applying unit configured to apply a voltage to the carrier so that a carrier current flows from the voltage applying unit through the carrier; and a current detecting unit configured to detect the carrier current. The current detecting unit detects the carrier current at an uncharged portion of the carrier. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100111556 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; a charging member contactable to said photosensitive member to electrically charge said photosensitive member; applying means applying a charging bias voltage to said charging member; detecting means detecting a current flowing between said charging member and said photosensitive member; a controller for controlling said image forming apparatus to execute an operational mode for removing an electric discharge product deposited on a surface of said photosensitive member, in the case that detecting means detects a current not lower than a predetermined value when a voltage lower than a voltage at which an electric charge starts between said photosensitive member and said charging member is applied to said charging member. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20120294642 | PRINTING APPARATUS THAT CLEANS FIXING DEVICE, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE PRINTING APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A printing apparatus provided with a mechanism capable of selecting an appropriate one of a plurality of applicable cleaning methods so as to clean a pressure roller of a fixing device. The printing apparatus conveys a sheet from a sheet feeder and performs cleaning of the fixing device using the conveyed sheet, by a first cleaning method or a second cleaning method more effective than the first cleaning method. When the number of printed sheets is smaller than a first threshold value, a first cleaning process is performed on the fixing device by the first cleaning method, whereas when the number of sheets printed is not smaller than the first threshold value, a second cleaning process is performed on the fixing device by the second cleaning method. | 11-22-2012 |
| 20080273891 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is described an image forming apparatus equipped with a cleaning unit to clean a belt-type transfer member. The cleaning unit includes: a conductive opposing roller that contacts an inner surface of the intermediate transfer member; a first conductive blush member and a second conductive blush member, both of which are pressed against the conductive opposing roller while putting the intermediate transfer member between them; a cleaning-voltage applying power source to apply a cleaning voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the residual toner onto the first conductive blush member; and an opposing-roller potential controlling unit to control an electric potential state of the conductive opposing roller, so that an electric potential difference, between the first conductive blush member and the conductive opposing roller at a time when the secondary transferring unit is deactivated, is larger than that at a time when the primary transferring unit is activated. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080240764 | Image forming apparatus - A developing roller supplies the toner to an image on an image bearing body, the image being formed in accordance with image data. A toner supplying member supplies the developer material to the developer bearing member. A computing section computes a dot population density in corresponding one of a plurality of sub data areas. The plurality of sub data areas is obtained by dividing the image data such that the plurality of sub data areas are aligned in a printable area of a print medium in a direction perpendicular to a direction of travel of the print medium. A controller performs a developer material removing process based on the dot population density. The developer material removing process is such that the toner deposited on the developing roller is removed from the developing roller in an area corresponding to a low dot population density of image data. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20110013923 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH AN INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEMBER AND A PLURALITY OF CLEANING MEMBERS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device; an intermediate transfer member; a secondary transferring device; a first cleaning member; a second cleaning member; a contacting/separating device; a release-agent applying device; and a controlling unit. | 01-20-2011 |
| 20090285593 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit including a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; a conveyor belt arranged opposite to the photoconductor drums and configured to convey a recording sheet; and a cleaning unit including a cleaning member positioned in contact with the conveyor belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the conveyor belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member. The cleaning member is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the conveyor belt and upstream from the image forming unit as viewed in a sheet conveyance direction along which the recording sheet is conveyed on the conveyor belt, and the image forming unit and the cleaning unit are pulled out together from a main body of the image forming apparatus toward an upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20120288296 | WATER ADDITION APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion that fixes a toner image to a sheet by applying heat to the sheet; a conveyance path through which back and forth conveyance of the sheet conveyed from the fixing portion is performed by normally and reversely rotating a conveying roller; a water addition portion that adds water to the sheet at a water addition position in the conveyance path on upstream in a conveying direction of the conveying roller; and a controller that controls the water addition portion such that the water is added to the sheet conveyed from the fixing portion to the water addition position, and that the water is added to the sheet to which the reverse conveyance has been performed by the reverse rotation of the conveying roller after an upstream end in the conveying direction of the sheet passes through the water addition position. | 11-15-2012 |
| 20090052929 | CLEANING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THE SAME - A cleaning device for cleaning an image forming surface of a rotating image bearing member that bears a toner image includes a cleaning member that faces and cleans the image forming surface. An operating mechanism allows the cleaning member to come in press-contact with and separate from the image forming surface. A controller controls the operating mechanism. The image bearing member rotates so that in a state where a toner image is on the image forming surface, the toner image passes through a facing position at which the cleaning member faces the image forming surface, and the controller controls the operating mechanism so that the cleaning member comes in press-contact with the image forming surface during an interval period between passing of the toner image through the facing position and arriving of the toner image at the facing position again. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20080260410 | Cleaning device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus - A cleaning device capable of inhibiting noise from being caused by stick-slip vibration between a blade member of the cleaning device and an image carrier, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus are provided. A vibration detecting device for detecting a vibration state is attached to a central part of a holder holding a blade member, and an excitation member for vibrating the blade member is attached to the blade member over the entire length thereof in a direction along a sliding contact surface contacting a photoreceptor. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20100014883 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTROSTATIC BRUSH CLEANING IN AN IMAGE PRODUCTION DEVICE - A method and apparatus for electrostatic brush cleaning of excess toner particles on a photoreceptor device in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include determining if an image transfer occurred in the image production device, wherein if it is determined that the image transfer occurred, rotating one or more electrostatic brushes at a first speed, and if it is determined that the image transfer did not occur, rotating the one or more electrostatic brushes at a second speed, wherein the first speed is slower than the second speed. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100150598 | TONER AND ADDITIVE REMOVAL SYSTEM FOR COPIER OR PRINTER - This is an electrophotographic marking system that effectively cleans residual toner and toner additives from the surface of a photoreceptor of a marking system, by improved toner and toner agent removal expedients . This cleaning process reduces ghosting problems that had been encountered in final copies produced by electrophotographic systems such as in copier, printers and duplicators. This cleaning is accomplished by expedients such as increasing a cleaning brush bias, and by increasing the surface area of cleaning brushes used in the system. In addition, the development process is desensitized to the development of ghosting. This desensitizing is accomplished by expedients such as increasing the gap between the development roll and the photoreceptor and by reducing the AC development electrical bias. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20120195617 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is for transferring a toner image on an image carrier onto a transfer medium, and thermally fixing the toner image by a fixing device, and comprises a cleaner removing residual toner on the image carrier. The apparatus: acquires information relating to a distribution of a density of the residual toner at each position within a section on the image carrier at an end of an image forming job, the section extending from the transfer position to immediately before a cleaning position; determines, based on the information, whether or not the density of the residual toner at the transfer position exceeds a corresponding threshold density pertaining to occurrence of fusion of the residual toner; and causes, if determining negatively, the drive unit to stop when the image forming job is completed and the residual toner at the transfer position reaches a predetermined position within the section. | 08-02-2012 |
| 20090116863 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, CLEANING SYSTEM, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH CLEANING SYSTEM - A transfer residual toner that has not been electrostatically transferred onto a transfer paper P at a transfer nip and remains on a surface of a photosensitive element is temporarily retained by an elastic blade of a toner retaining unit in a mechanical manner before reaching a latent image forming area. When passing through the latent image forming area, the transfer residual toner is returned onto the surface of the photosensitive member at such a timing that writing is not performed by an exposing unit on the surface of the photosensitive element. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090116862 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, comprising: an image carrier; a brush to remove toner remaining on the image carrier by scrubbing a surface of the image carrier; a flicker to remove the toner adhering to the brush by contacting to the brush; a brush driving section to rotate the brush; and a control section to obtain a quantity of the toner adhering to the brush and to control the brush driving section so as to change a rotation speed of the brush based on the obtained quantity of the toner. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20110129247 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING CLEANING STATION OPERATION IN A PRINTING APPARATUS - An apparatus ( | 06-02-2011 |
| 20100239302 | Cleaning unit, process cartridge, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus - A cleaning unit that can remove particles of residual toner remaining on an image carrier after transfer and be incorporated in a process cartridge removably installable to an image forming apparatus, includes a brush roller disposed in contact with the image carrier to remove the residual toner remaining on the image carrier from the image carrier, and a polarity control member disposed in contact with the image carrier to control charge polarities of the residual toner remaining on the image carrier before the residual toner is removed by the brush roller. The polarity control member includes a first surface where the polarity control member contacts the image carrier, a second surface where the polarity control member does not contact the image carrier, and a conductive filler that is not exposed on the first surface that contacts the image carrier. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20080292349 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member with an image bearing surface adapted to move in a given direction and carry a toner image thereon. A main cleaning device is opposed to the image bearing surface and electrically removes residual toner remaining on the image bearing surface. A power supply is adapted to apply to the main cleaning device a bias having a polarity reverse to a charge polarity of the residual toner. An auxiliary cleaning device is provided near and upstream of the main cleaning device with respect to the moving direction of the image bearing surface and can be brought into contact with the image bearing surface. A support structure supports the auxiliary cleaning device and permits the auxiliary cleaning device to be moved swingingly while following a displacement of the image bearing surface during the moving. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090028596 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a transporter for transporting a sheet; an image forming section for forming an image on the sheet being transported by the transporter with an ink; a liquid absorbent member; a cleaning liquid feeding section for feeding a cleaning liquid to the transporter via the liquid absorbent member to clean the transporter adhered with ink residues; and a cleaning liquid feeding controlling section for controlling the cleaning liquid feeding section to perform the cleaning liquid feeding operation, based on a condition of the image forming apparatus relating to evaporation of the cleaning liquid. This arrangement enables to properly clean a transport belt in an inkjet image forming apparatus, while preventing waste of the cleaning liquid and securing stable driving of the transport belt. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20100124430 | Image Forming Apparatus - An Image Forming Apparatus has a controller for controlling a second bias, which is applied to a cleaning member, based on a value of electric current measured by a current sensor. The controller controls the second bias on based on the value of the current measured when a predetermined measurement range of a transport belt is in contact with the cleaning member. The measurement range is a range in which conditions, under which the first bias and the second bias are applied, are identical. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100080601 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: a carrier; an image forming unit configured to form an image on the carrier using colorant, the image including a pattern; a pattern sensor configured to detect the pattern formed on the carrier; a cleaner configured to perform cleaning of the carrier; and a residue sensor configured to perform detection of residual colorant remaining on the carrier after the cleaner performs the cleaning of the carrier. A detection condition for the residue sensor to perform the detection of the residual colorant is more suitable for detecting colorant than the detection condition for the pattern sensor to detect the pattern. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20110150519 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a control unit that performs two types of stop operations in which an image bearing member is rotated or is not rotated after forming an image. The control unit selects the stop operation according to operation time of the image bearing member. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20090022509 | User-friendly image forming apparatus, image forming method and recording medium - An image forming apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer belt for, by rotation thereof, transferring a toner image on a surface thereof; a cleaner for removing toner particles after the transfer by rotation of a cleaning brush which touches the surface of the intermediate transfer belt and rotated during the transfer; a current supplier for supplying a cleaning current having a predetermined value (I | 01-22-2009 |
| 20080267652 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image bearing members, an electrostatic image forming device for forming an electrostatic image on the image bearing members, a plurality of developing devices for developing as developer images the electrostatic images formed on the plurality of image bearing members by using developer charged to a predetermined polarity, a primary transferring device for primarily transferring the developer images borne by the plurality of image bearing members to an intermediate transfer member at a plurality of primary transfer portions, a secondary transferring device for secondarily transferring the developer images primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer member to a recording material at a secondary transfer portion, a cleaning device for cleaning the developer on the intermediate transfer member, and a controlling device for, when a secondary untransferred developer image, which is a developer image that has not been secondarily transferred after the primary transfer, is cleaned from the intermediate transfer member, variably controlling a cleaning condition of the cleaning device in accordance with one of an image ratio and a position of the secondary untransferred developer image. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20100329721 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has an image carrier for carrying toner. A charger charges the surface of the image carrier and an exposure part then forms an electrostatic latent image thereon. A developer uses toner to develop the electrostatic latent image and a transfer part transfers a toner image from the image carrier to a recording medium. A cleaning roller has a circumferential surface that contacts with the surface of the image carrier and removes deposits therefrom by using toner that the circumferential surface carries. A carrier driver drives the image carrier and a power detector detects power consumption of the carrier driver. A roller controller determines, based on the detected power consumption whether a removal capacity of the cleaning roller to remove the deposits needs to be increased, and then controls rotation of the cleaning roller in response to a result of the determination. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110262170 | CLEANING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A cleaning apparatus includes a first cleaning roller, and a second cleaning roller. The first cleaning roller is contrived to contact to a circumferential surface against a moving member to be cleaned and to apply a bias to the member to be cleaned while rotating such that the circumferential surface of the first cleaning roller moves in a same direction as the member to be cleaned moves. The second cleaning roller is contrived to contact to the member to be cleaned after the member has been cleaned by the first cleaning roller and to rotate such that a circumferential surface of the second cleaning roller moves in a direction opposite a direction in which the member being cleaned moves. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20120148285 | ROTATABLE MEMBER CLEANER FOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTER - In an electrophotographic (EP) printer, a rotatable member includes a deposition area and a non-deposition area. A toner supply supplies toner to the member, and a moving receiving member receives from the deposition area of the rotatable member while the rotatable member rotates. The rotatable member is cleaned with a selectively-retractable blade in mechanical contact with the member so that toner is removed from the deposition area while the rotatable member rotates. An artifact sensor automatically detects a toner image artifact on the receiver. A controller responsive to the artifact sensor causes the blade to retract when an artifact is detected, and a blade cleaner cleans the blade while the blade is not in mechanical contact with the member. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20110081159 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier member, an intermediate transfer member, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, and a driving controller. The image carrier member carries a toner image. The toner image carried on the image carrier member is first-transferred to the intermediate transfer member. The transfer unit second-transfers the toner image first-transferred to the intermediate transfer member onto a recording medium. The cleaning unit removes residual toner on the intermediate transfer member after the second transfer. The driving controller changes a driving time of the intermediate transfer member after completion of image formation in accordance with information about a life of the intermediate transfer member. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20100080600 | Collection container, cleaning unit, and image forming apparatus capable of collecting waste toner efficiently - A collection container for collecting and containing waste toner includes a leveling member, a detector, and at least one inlet. The leveling member levels the waste toner contained in the collection container. The detector detects an amount of the waste toner contained in the collection container. The leveling member levels the waste toner delivered to the collection container through the at least one inlet by conveying the waste toner simultaneously in a first direction toward the detector and a second direction opposite to the first direction, starting from an origination position corresponding to the at least one inlet. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100196040 | Image forming device - An image forming device having an detachable image forming unit that has an image carrier and an opening that exposes a part of the surface of the image carrier includes a determination unit that determines a cleaning time for the image carrier; and a rotation control unit that rotates the image carrier by a rotation unit that is less than or equal to a width of the opening, during the cleaning time. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100067935 | Image forming apparatus having maintenance method setting function - An image forming apparatus of which maintenance work can always be conducted appropriately independent of time-degradation of the apparatus is provided. In the image forming apparatus of which maintenance work is done in accordance with either a user mode or a service engineer mode, an image forming unit including an image forming station prints an image in accordance with image data, and a main CPU calculates duration of use of the apparatus as an index indicating time-degradation, and determines whether or not the calculated duration of use of the apparatus has reached one year as a predetermined threshold value. Based on the result of determination, a user mode or a service engineer mode is set as a maintenance method for conducting maintenance work. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20120148284 | CLEANING ROTATABLE MEMBER IN ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTER - A method of cleaning a rotatable member in an electrophotographic (EP) printer includes depositing toner in a selected area on the member. A processor automatically determines whether some or all of the deposited toner should be removed from the member. If so, a blade is engaged with the member, the member is rotated so that toner is removed from the selected area of the member by the blade and, after the selected area passes the engaged blade, the blade is disengaged from the member. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120148286 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, a control unit is capable of carrying out a cleaning mode with a first step of allowing an image forming unit to form, on an image bearing member, a cleaning toner image with a length according to a length of a feeding member or conveying member in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording material, a second step of moving the cleaning toner image from the image bearing member to a transfer member, and a third step of moving the cleaning toner image from the transfer member to the image bearing member. This allows the transfer member to be efficiently cleaned, providing appropriate images prevented from suffering a transfer failure. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120099883 | CLEANING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A cleaning device including a rotatable cleaning member contacting a rotatable image carrier bearing a toner image to electrostatically remove toner from the image carrier while rotating, and a control unit to control rotation of the cleaning member to satisfy a relation of (60/R)>(L/V) during removal of a toner pattern formed on the image carrier at a predetermined timing and remaining attached to the image carrier without being transferred from the image carrier onto a transfer member using the cleaning member, where R (rpm) is a number of rotations of the cleaning member, L (mm) is a length of the toner pattern in a direction of rotation of the image carrier, and V (mm/s) is a speed of the image carrier. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120008974 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member; a cleaning blade for removing toner in contact with the image bearing member; a load adjusting device for adjusting a contact load between the cleaning blade and the image bearing member; a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member; a developing roller moving device for moving the developing roller between a developing position in which the electrostatic latent image is to be developed and a non-developing position retracted from the developing position; and a control device for effecting control such that the developing roller is moved from the developing position to the non-developing position by the developing roller moving device during rotation of the image bearing member and after an area on the image bearing member opposed to the developing roller at the time when the developing roller is started to be moved from the developing position to the non-developing position passes through a contact area between the cleaning blade and the image bearing member, the contact load is made smaller than that during development by the load adjusting device and then the rotation of the image bearing member is stopped. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008973 | CLEANING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A cleaning device disposed downstream from a transfer position in a direction of rotation of the image carrier to remove toner from the image carrier. The cleaning device includes a normally-charged toner cleaning member to electrostatically remove normally-charged toner from the image carrier, one of a polarity controller to control the toner on the image carrier to have a normal charging polarity and a reversely-charged toner cleaning member to electrostatically remove reversely-charged toner from the image carrier, a pre-cleaning member to electrostatically remove normally-charged toner from the image carrier, a pre-collection member to electrostatically collect the toner from the pre-cleaning member, and a control unit to reduce a voltage applied to the pre-cleaning member immediately after an untransferred toner image is removed from the image carrier by the pre-cleaning member below a voltage applied to the pre-cleaning member during removal of the untransferred toner image. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120020693 | CLEANING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A cleaning device for cleaning a belt member, includes a cleaning blade; a removing member coming in contact with the surface of the belt member so as to remove foreign matter adhering on the surface of the belt member; and a contact pressure changing section to change a contact pressure between the removing member to the belt member, wherein, when the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be not transferred to a paper sheet is made P | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120020692 | LONG LIFE CLEANING SYSTEM WITH REDUCED STRESS FOR START OF CLEANING BLADE OPERATION - According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided an apparatus and method to manage the contact of a cleaning blade and a moving surface to increase the useful life of the blade. For example, a cleaning apparatus for a photoreceptor surface comprises a cleaning unit with a blade holder that rotates about a pivot point, a cleaning blade that is coupled to the blade holder and is positioned to chisel excess toner from the photoreceptor surface, and which cleans excess toner from the photoreceptor surface. The apparatus further comprises a sensor that senses the start and the end of an operational procedure, and an actuator that rotates the blade holder about the pivot point to selectively advance or retract the blade during the start-up procedure and the shut-down procedure. After the cleaning surface has begun to move or reached operating speed, blade contact is increased to bring the blade load up to operational level. By making this change to the conventional static cleaning blade, the peak stress at start-up and shut-down is much reduced and cleaning blade life and reliability are much improved. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20110091234 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE CONTROL METHOD - A technique capable of preventing deterioration of image quality resulting from a band-shaped toner image created on a photosensitive surface in order to prevent so-called carrier attraction is provided. An image forming method involving an abutting and separation step that allows a first image carrier (YMC) and a second image carrier (K) to abut on an intermediate transfer body to form an image and thereafter that allows only the second image carrier to abut on the intermediate transfer body by separating the first image carrier from the intermediate transfer body; and then a collecting step that collects a toner band on the first image carrier in situ to conduct new image formation. | 04-21-2011 |
| 20110103818 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH MECHANISM FOR CLEANING IMAGE CARRIER - A control unit temporarily stops an image carrier when transfer of an image formed using a developer to a recording medium ends. Thereafter, the control unit controls a drive source to intermittently drive the image carrier N times. A measuring unit measures an amount of rotation of the image carrier when the image carrier is intermittently driven. A determination unit determines an amount of rotation for stop instruction issuance that will be applied to a next drive. The amount of rotation for stop instruction issuance is based on an amount of inertial rotation measured from when a stop instruction is issued until when the image carrier stops rotating, and a target amount of rotation for each time the image carrier is driven. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110103817 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CLEANING A LATENT IMAGE CARRIER - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier, a conveyer system including nipping rollers to convey a sheet to vicinity of the latent image carrier, a switching system to switch operation modes between an image forming mode and a cleaning mode, and a cleaning controller to control a cleaning operation in the cleaning mode. The cleaning operation includes activating the conveyer system to convey a cleaner sheet at least until a front end reaches a position opposite from the latent image carrier and inactivating the conveyer system to stop the cleaner sheet thereat, a cleaning behavior, in which the latent image carrier is activated whilst the cleaner sheet is maintained nipped between nipping rollers in the conveyer system, a forwarding behavior to forward the cleaner sheet for a predetermined forwarding length, and repeating the cleaning behavior. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20120163849 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT FORMS AND SENSES MARKS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, developer remaining on a photosensitive member as transfer residual developer is caught temporarily by a catching portion. In a collecting process, the transfer residual developer caught by the catching portion is returned to the photosensitive member, the transfer residual developer then is transferred onto a conveyor member, and the transfer residual developer is collected by a collecting portion. In the collecting process, the presence or absence or an amount of the transfer residual developer transferred onto the conveyor member is measured. | 06-28-2012 |
| 20120128384 | MOUNTING METHOD OF CLEANING BLADE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING CLEANING BLADE - A cleaning blade mounting method includes the steps of: moving a toner image carrier on which a toner layer is formed so that the toner layer reaches a cleaning position by a cleaning device; after bringing a tip of a cleaning blade into contact with the toner layer, bringing the tip into contact with the toner image carrier, mounting the cleaning blade to a temporary position with a second load lower than a first load that is a contact load at a time of an image formation; moving the cleaning blade with the second load from the temporary position to a final position at which a cleaning operation is carried out; bringing the cleaning blade with the first load into contact with the toner image carrier; and mounting the cleaning blade to the final position at the time of the image formation. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120213543 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT, AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit configured to supply a toner onto a surface of an image carrier to form a toner image carried from a toner container; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image onto a transfer medium; a cleaning unit configured to collect a non-transferred toner that is not transferred onto the transfer medium during the transfer by the transfer unit; a recycle unit configured to carry the non-transferred toner to the developing unit; a non-transferred-toner-amount detecting unit configured to detects an amount of the non-transferred toner; a total-toner-amount calculating unit configured to calculates an amount of the toner carried from the toner container; a consumed-toner-amount calculating unit configured to calculate, based on the amounts, a consumed toner amount; and an environmental-load-information calculating unit configured to calculate, based on the consumed toner amount, environmental load information. | 08-23-2012 |
| 20120134699 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided, which includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium, a cleaned body that is an intended body to be cleaned, a cleaning member configured to clean at least attached matter, which is generated in image formation by the image forming unit, on the cleaned body, a backup member disposed to face the cleaning member across the cleaned body, a voltage supply unit configured to supply the backup member with a cleaning voltage having a polarity identical to a charge polarity of the attached matter, in an operation of cleaning the cleaned body, a detector configured to detect an electric quantity of the cleaning member when the cleaning voltage is supplied to the backup member by the voltage supply unit, and a controller configured to control the detected electric quantity of the cleaning member to be a predetermined value. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120134701 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a toner density detection unit, cleaning member, motor and motion conversion unit. The toner density detection unit is configured to detect toner density. The cleaning member is configured to linearly reciprocate to clean a detection surface of the toner density detection unit. The motor has a rotational shaft. The motion conversion unit is configured to convert a rotation of the rotational shaft to a linear reciprocal movement of the cleaning member. The motion conversion unit includes a cam having a shape configured to cause the cleaning member to perform one reciprocal movement at each rotation of the cam. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120134700 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including: an image forming section having a intermediate transfer body to carry a toner image on a photoreceptor and transfer the toner image onto a sheet of paper; a cleaning section for removing residual toner on the intermediate transfer body by bringing a cleaning blade into close contact with the intermediate transfer body; and a control section for controlling a rotation of the intermediate transfer body so as to carry out a return action of a blade configuration which stops or reverses the rotation of the intermediate transfer body, when a rotation amount reaches a predetermined value, wherein the control section carries out the return action when the rotation amount reaches a value smaller than the predetermined value, in a case where a plurality of previous printing jobs is determined to be intermittent printing. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20100046976 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING CLEANING DEVICES IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Systems and methods are provided for controlling cleaning devices in image forming apparatus electrostatic image forming apparatus. Such systems may include a charge receptor, movable in a process direction, defining a main surface. A toner application device applies toner to the charge receptor, and is configured to place a lubrication stripe including the toner on a portion of the main surface of the charge receptor at a selected time. A primary cleaning device cleans the main surface of the charge receptor, and includes at least one biased member having an effective area associated with the main surface relative to motion of the charge receptor. A secondary cleaning device is configured to engage the main surface of the charge receptor downstream of the biased member, and a control system reverses a bias on the biased member during a time when a lubrication stripe is in the effective area of the biased member. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100046975 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING CLEANING DEVICES IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Systems and methods are provided for controlling cleaning devices in image forming apparatus electrostatic image forming apparatus. Such systems may include a charge receptor, movable in a process direction, defining a main surface. A toner application device applies toner to the charge receptor, and is configured to place a lubrication stripe including the toner on a portion of the main surface of the charge receptor at a selected time. An influence of at least one corotron on the charge receptor is modified, during the designated rotations of the charge receptor, while the portion of the surface on which the lubrication stripe is formed, or will be formed, is passing the at least one corotron. The lubrication stripe is delivered to a secondary cleaning device including a blade engaging with the photoreceptor surface to lubricate the blade. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100046974 | Systems and methods for controlling cleaning devices in image forming apparatus - Systems and methods are provided for controlling cleaning devices in image forming apparatus electrostatic image forming apparatus. Such systems may include a charge receptor, movable in a process direction, defining a main surface. A toner application device applies toner to the charge receptor, and is configured to place a lubrication stripe including the toner on a portion of the main surface of the charge receptor at a selected time. An influence of a pre-clean corotron on the charge receptor is modified, during the designated rotations of the charge receptor, while the portion of the surface on which the lubrication stripe is formed, or will be formed, is passing the pre-clean corotron. The lubrication stripe is delivered to a secondary cleaning device including a blade engaging with the photoreceptor surface to lubricate the blade. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100272460 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRINT APPARATUS ROTATIONAL ASSEMBLY CLEANING BLADE ADJUSTMENT - An apparatus ( | 10-28-2010 |
| 20090279914 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has a cleaning blade in contact with at least one of a first rotation body and a second rotation body which rotate in contact with each other, so as to clean a circumferential surface of the rotation body, and a control section to control the first drive device or the second drive device when a countable value of countable control items memorized in the control section reaches to a predetermined value by changing a linear speed difference between the first rotation body and the second rotation body so that a load torque of the rotation body to which the cleaning blade contacts falls within a load torque range in which control for rotation angular speed of a drive motor is possible. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090016761 | Image Forming Device and Control Method Thereof - An image forming device includes a developer carrier for carrying a liquid developer, a latent image carrier to which a latent image is developed by the developer carrier, a charging member for charging the latent image carrier, an exposure device for exposing the latent image carrier, a latent image carrier cleaning roller for applying a bias to clean the latent image carrier, a latent image carrier cleaning blade having contact with the latent image carrier and for scraping out the developer on the latent image carrier, and a cleaning process control section for cleaning the latent image carrier in a condition in which a charging bias of the charging member is applied, the developer carrier has contact with the latent image carrier, and the bias of the latent image carrier cleaning roller is applied to the latent image carrier cleaning roller. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20100232823 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CARTRIDGE, AND CLEANING DEVICE - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing body on which surface an image is formed and borne; an image forming section that forms the image; a transfer device that transfers the formed image to a transferring body; a cleaning member that comes into contact with the surface of the image bearing body to scrape an adhesion substance after the image is transferred; a storage tank in which the removed adhesion substance is stored; a damming member that obstructs a region between the cleaning member and the storage tank to temporarily dam the adhesion substance moving from the cleaning member to the storage tank on the cleaning member side, the damming member including overlapped members having openings, the members including a movable member that is slidable with respect to other member; and a driving section that drives the movable member to change an overlapping amount between the openings. | 09-16-2010 |
