Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080212998 | TANDEM IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMINGAPPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A method of arranging a plurality of image forming sections, each of which includes a developing device and a cleaning device. The method includes arranging the plurality of image forming sections side by side along an inclined image carrier; and positioning the cleaning device above the developing device of other image forming sections in one of nearby ones of the plurality of image forming sections. | 09-04-2008 |
20080253793 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF EFFICIENT TONER CONCENTRATION CONTROL - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a plurality of toner images on an image carrier, an optical detector configured to detect reflection light from the toner image, and dedicated to detect infrared rays and near-infrared rays, and a controller configured to perform a predetermined control using a detection results of the optical detector. Gradation pattern that is comprised of a plurality of toner patches formed in the image forming unit with an image forming condition to have different adhesive amounts, and is formed of at least two colors, and detection values detected by the optical detector are used for the predetermined control. | 10-16-2008 |
20080292360 | OPTICAL SENSOR AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - An optical sensor includes a light-emitting element for directing light to an image, a light-receiving element for receiving light reflected by the image, a normal detection optical path for allowing the light emitted by the light-emitting element and the light reflected from the image to follow a normal detection optical path during normal operation, a calibration reflecting plate disposed inside the optical sensor for reflecting light from the light-emitting element when sensitivity is calibrated, a calibration optical path for allowing the light emitted by the light-emitting element to follow a calibration optical path to the light-receiving element when the emitted light is reflected by the calibration reflecting plate, and a first optical function element disposed in the calibration optical path and switchable between a light permeating state, in which the light passes therethrough, and a light intercepting state, in which the light is blocked, when voltage is applied. | 11-27-2008 |
20090052912 | ABNORMALITY DETERMINING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, COPYING MACHINE, AND INFORMATION OBTAINING METHOD - A time point at which a predetermined period elapses since the start of use of a copying machine as a detection subject after factory shipment or repair is obtained. Pieces of set information, which are combinations of various types of information until the time point is reached are sequentially stored to construct a normal set information group. After the time point is reached, presence of abnormality in the copying machine is determined based on the normal set information group and the various types of information obtained. | 02-26-2009 |
20090110413 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE DENSITY CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus and an image density control method for controlling image density in the image forming apparatus, involving adjusting a toner concentration control reference value in accordance with an amount of the toner replaced in a developing device so as to adjust the image density to maintain a consistent developability and changing image forming intervals in accordance with an amount of the toner replaced in the developing device during continuous printing operation. | 04-30-2009 |
20090208233 | Image forming apparatus, control method thereof, program and recording medium - An image forming apparatus is provided which is of an electrophotographic type, and is capable of setting a gradation number of a patch pattern to be formed corresponding to various factor information, and to perform a process control. The image forming apparatus includes a patch pattern forming part to form a toner image of a patch pattern on an image carrier; a developing part to develop the patch pattern; a toner image density detecting part to measure a toner image density of the patch pattern; and a process control performing part to vary an image forming process condition based on detection results obtained from the toner image density detecting part, and to stabilize an image density. | 08-20-2009 |
20090279907 | REUSE METHOD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a reuse method for reusing a reusable device and a sensor of a first image forming apparatus having a first process linear velocity in a second image forming apparatus having at least one second process linear velocity different from the first process linear velocity, the reusable device and the sensor are installed in the first image forming apparatus, and when the first image forming apparatus switches from the first process linear velocity to the second process linear velocity at an initial state before the reusable device is used, output of the sensor at the second process linear velocity is measured. When information on the output of the sensor at the second process linear velocity is stored, the reusable device and the sensor are removed from the first image forming apparatus and installed in the second image forming apparatus. | 11-12-2009 |
20090324267 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE-DENSITY CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus forms a plurality of tone patterns of different colors, each of which containing a plurality of toner patches having different toner densities. Some of the toner patches in each of the tone patterns are formed with a predetermined fixed developing bias and the rest of the toner patches in each of the tone patterns are formed with developing biases set based on previous developing biases that have been obtained through a previous control process. The largest toner density of the toner patches in each of the tone patterns is determined based on a magnitude relation of previous index values obtained through the previous control process. | 12-31-2009 |
20100033743 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, PRINT MEDIA TRANSPORT DEVICE, AND IMAGE QUALITY DETERMINING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an image sensor unit, an image data obtaining unit, and an image quality determiner unit to determine quality of an image on a print sheet after fusing based on input image data and output image data as a result of detection by the image sensor unit. According to a result of the determination, a print sheet containing an image determined as a non-normal image is discharged to a first paper tray while that containing an image determined as a normal image is discharged to a second paper tray. | 02-11-2010 |
20100111547 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image-information acquiring unit acquires the image information divided at least in one of a main-scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction. A supply control unit calculates basic-supply patterns of a supply amount of toner and controls the supply amount at a supply point in a developing unit using a toner supply pattern combined with the basic-supply patterns that eliminate temporal variation in toner density of the developer, at the specific point, due to development of the latent image. | 05-06-2010 |
20110058823 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - A toner-image detecting sensor for detecting a toner image before being transferred onto a recording sheet and a fixed-image detecting sensor for detecting the toner image after being secondarily transferred and fixed on the recording sheet are arranged so that the positions of them in a main scanning corresponding direction are aligned. An image forming apparatus has a first image adjustment mode and a second image adjustment mode. In the first image adjustment mode, image adjustment is made on the basis of only a result of detection by the toner-image detecting sensor without transferring the test pattern onto the recording sheet. In the second image adjustment mode, the test pattern is transferred onto the recording sheet, and image adjustment is made on the basis of both a result of detection by the toner-image detecting sensor and a result of detection by the fixed-image detecting sensor. | 03-10-2011 |
20110063683 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is provided an image forming apparatus that performs gradation correction, including a pattern forming unit that forms, on an image carrier, rows of area coverage modulation patterns having patterns of different gradation values in steps by area coverage modulation method; a toner adhering amount detecting unit that measures toner adhering amount of each pattern of the rows of area coverage modulation patterns formed by the pattern forming unit, the gradation correction being performed based on a detection result of the toner adhering amount detecting unit; and a pattern type selecting unit that selects a single pattern type formed on the image carrier from a plurality of pattern types, when carrying out gradation correction control by forming the rows of the area coverage modulation. | 03-17-2011 |
20110206393 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING A FUNCTION OF PREDICTING DEVICE DETERIORATION BASED ON A PLURALITY OF TYPES OF OPERATION CONTROL INFORMATION - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of types of operation control information of the image forming apparatus that indicate deterioration of a toner in the image forming apparatus or deterioration of a component of the image forming apparatus. An index value calculating unit calculates an index value indicating a state of the image forming apparatus based on the acquired operation control information. An abnormality judging unit judges whether the image forming apparatus abnormality has occurred and predicts an occurrence of a failure that requires maintenance of the image forming apparatus due to deterioration of the toner in the image forming apparatus or deterioration of the component of the image forming apparatus based on the index value. | 08-25-2011 |
20110229171 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF STABLY CONTROLLING IMAGE DENSITY - An image forming apparatus includes plural toner adhered amount detectors that detect an amount of toner particles adhered to the toner image on the image bearer and an image density controller to form a gradation pattern by sequentially arranging plural toner patches in the sub-scanning direction on the image bearer from the least toner adhered amount patch. These toner patches bear a different amount of toner particles from each other. The plural toner patches are detected by the plural toner adhered amount detectors, and the image density controller adjusts an image formation condition for the image formation device based on detection values thereof. These toner adhered amount detectors are symmetrically aligned in a main scanning direction above the image bearer. The image density controller forms the plural toner patches being staggered at different positions on the image bearer, facing these toner adhered amount detectors, respectively. | 09-22-2011 |
20120092687 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CORRECTION EFFECT VERIFICATION METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a duplex conveyance path where a recording medium can be reversed and re-fed; and an output image detector to detect an image or a test pattern formed on a surface of the recording medium. The image forming apparatus is configured to: detect the test pattern formed on the first side of the recording medium by the output image detector; adjust and correct image forming conditions based on the detection result of the detector; convey the recording medium the first side of which the test pattern is formed on, to a duplex conveyance path; re-feed the recording medium and form a test pattern for verifying correction effect on a backside of the recording medium after correcting and updating the image forming conditions; and detect the test pattern formed on the backside of the recording medium again by the output image detector, thereby verifying the correction effect. | 04-19-2012 |
20120201552 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF REDUCING IMAGE DENSITY IRREGULARITY - In an image forming apparatus, a first controller forms a first image pattern on an image bearer and determines a first image formation condition based on a detection result of density of a toner image. The first controller then controls a toner image forming device based on the first image formation condition. A second controller forms a second image pattern different from the first image pattern on an image bearer and determines a second image formation condition based on a detection result of density of a toner image. The second controller then controls a toner image forming device based on the second image formation condition. | 08-09-2012 |
20120315056 | DIFFUSE REFLECTION OUTPUT CONVERSION METHOD, ATTACHED POWDER AMOUNT CONVERSION METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an embodiment, a diffuse reflection output conversion method is executed in an apparatus detecting a plurality of gradation patterns. The apparatus includes a light emitter and light receiver, and detects specular reflection and diffuse reflection simultaneously. A region before specular reflection saturation is a region where the specular reflection component decreases and saturates at minimum level. A diffuse reflection detector is calibrated by: obtaining a diffuse reflection output resulting from an amount of attached powder at a border between the region before specular reflection saturation and the region after specular reflection saturation; calculating a ratio between the diffuse reflection output and a reference diffuse reflection output calculated in advance as a calibration coefficient; and multiplying a diffuse reflection output obtained from the gradation patterns by the calibration coefficient calculated at the calculating. | 12-13-2012 |
20130004207 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member including a developer bearing member opposed to the image bearing member to bear thereon a developer including a toner and a magnetic carrier; a developer containing part to contain the developer to supply the developer to the developer bearing member; an agitating or feeding member to agitate or feed the developer in the developer containing part; a magnetic permeability sensor to measure magnetic permeability of the developer to determine toner concentration of the developer; a developer feeder; a feeding member to feed the developer to the developer containing part through the developer feeder; and a driver to drive the feeding member independently of the agitating or feeding member. The magnetic permeability sensor is arranged on the developer feeder. | 01-03-2013 |
20130108288 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF REDUCING IMAGE DENSITY IRREGULARITY | 05-02-2013 |
20130108292 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF OPTIMALLY PERFORMING DENSITY FLUCTUATION CORRECTION | 05-02-2013 |
20130243456 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image carrier that carries a toner image having a length corresponding to at least a circumferential length of the carrier; an image density detector that detects a density of the image; a potential detector that detects, over at least the circumferential length, a surface potential of the carrier before toner adheres thereto; a first image forming device that adjusts the density with a first factor, and forms an image based on a first condition of the first factor; a second image forming device that adjusts the density with a second factor, and forms an image based on a second condition of the second factor; a first determining device that determines the first condition based on uneven density; and a second determining device that determines the second condition based on uneven density and a potential distribution of the surface potential. | 09-19-2013 |
20130243457 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a developer carrier configured to adhere toner onto the image carrier; an image density detector to detect a density of an image on the image carrier formed by the developer carrier adhering the toner on the image carrier; a rotary member to form an image pattern of which density is detected by the image density detector; and a rotational position detector to detect a rotational position of the rotary member. In the image forming apparatus, the image pattern is generated based on the rotational position detected by the rotational position detector and the rotary member that the rotational position detector detects the rotational position thereof is either the image carrier or the developer carrier. | 09-19-2013 |
20140169814 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF EFFECTIVELY PREVENTING IMAGE DENSITY FLUCTUATION - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including rotary members to form a toner image corresponding to image data, in which the image forming unit forms a toner pattern for detecting image density fluctuation; and an image forming condition determination controller to perform image forming processing to ultimately transfer the toner image onto a recording medium. In the image forming apparatus, the controller measures a periodic image density fluctuation occurring in a rotation cycle of the rotary members based on a detection result of a toner pattern; performs image forming condition determination processing to determine an image forming condition to reduce the image density fluctuation based on measured image density fluctuation data; and determines whether or not the image density fluctuation data measured multiple times satisfies a predetermined control termination condition. | 06-19-2014 |
20140268242 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image density detector, an image forming device, a rotator, an image density controller, and a timing correction data obtainer. The image density detector detects a toner density of an image formed on an image bearing member. An image forming device forms the image using a density adjustable element that adjusts the density of the image. The rotator forms an image pattern while the density adjustable element is changed, and a density thereof is detected by the image density detector. The image density controller controls the image forming device using a density correction data for the density adjustable element corresponding to a rotational period of the rotator. The timing correction data obtainer obtains timing correction data for correction of driving timing of the image forming device based on a change in the density of the image pattern detected by the image density detector. | 09-18-2014 |
20140270827 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a rotation-position detector, a development device, a transfer unit, a density sensor, and an image-forming-condition determination unit. The density sensor senses a density of a toner image on a transfer body. The image-forming-condition determination unit forms an image pattern, acquires periodical density variation information sensed by the density sensor and detection information of the rotation-position detector, and determines an image forming condition based on the periodical density variation information and the detection information acquired. The image carrier and the transfer body are different in linear velocity in an image formation in which the toner image is transferred to a recording medium. The image carrier and the transfer body are controlled to be equal in linear velocity in an information acquisition in which the image-forming-condition determination unit acquires the periodical density variation information and the detection information. | 09-18-2014 |
20140270828 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - 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. | 09-18-2014 |
20140301748 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; an image forming unit; a processor for controlling the image forming unit according to a predetermined image forming condition setting data; an image density sensor to detect an image density of the toner pattern formed on the image carrier; a reference rotary position detector; an image density fluctuation data acquisition unit to obtain an image density fluctuation data of more than one circumferential length of the photoreceptor drum with reference to the reference rotary position detected by the reference rotary position detector based on a result related to the toner pattern formed on the image carrier detected by the image density sensor; and a correction data generator to generate a correction data to correct a reference image forming condition setting data with a correction amount corresponding to each rotary position of the rotary member to thus reduce the image density fluctuation. | 10-09-2014 |
20150078770 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes paper trays to contain and feed a recording sheet on which a toner image is transferred; status sensors to detect a storage status of the recording sheet contained in the paper trays; a sheet sensor to detect a smoothness of the recording sheet; a memory to store detection values of the smoothness detected by the sheet sensor; a fixing device to heat and press the toner image transferred onto the recording sheet and fix it onto the recording sheet; and a control circuit to determine a target fixing temperature of the fixing device based on the detection values stored in the memory. The control circuit determines the target fixing temperature for successive recording sheets depending on the detected smoothness, and resets the detection values stored in the memory to zero when the status sensors detect a change in the storage status of the paper trays. | 03-19-2015 |