Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080199193 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND FAILURE DETECTION METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes toner image forming devices for forming toner images of a plurality of mutually different colors, a toner image carrying member for carrying thereon the toner images of the plurality of colors to be transferred onto a recording medium at one time, an adhesion amount detection device for detecting a toner adhesion amount of each of the toner images, and a failure determination device for determining the presence or absence of a sign of failure in the toner image forming devices. The failure determination device determines the presence or absence of the sign of failure in one of the toner image forming devices on the basis of information based on adhesion amount detection results obtained through detection by the adhesion amount detection device of toner adhesion amounts of toner images formed on the toner image carrying member by the other toner image forming devices. | 08-21-2008 |
20080199194 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AN IMAGE DENSITY - An amount of toner transfer on a reference pattern is calculated by using an optical detecting unit that detects both regular reflection light and diffuse reflection light from a detection target simultaneously, based on a relative ratio between a value obtained by subtracting a result of multiplying a “diffuse reflection output” by a “minimum value of a ratio between a regular reflection output and the diffuse reflection output” from the “regular reflection output” of the density detection reference pattern, and a value obtained by subtracting a result of multiplying the “diffuse reflection output” by a “minimum value of a ratio between the regular reflection output and the diffuse reflection output” from the “regular reflection output” in the background of a transfer belt or an intermediate transfer body. | 08-21-2008 |
20080226316 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Toner images of reference patterns having different resolutions are formed on an image carrier, image densities of the toner images of reference patterns are detected by a density sensor, and an output of the density sensor, when the detected densities equate among the reference patterns having different resolutions formed with the same image forming condition, is memorized as a reference value for calibrating the output the density sensor. | 09-18-2008 |
20080247770 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MARKING TEST PATCHES FOR CALIBRATING AND/OR VISUALLY CONFIRMING COLOR ACCURACY OF A MARKING DEVICE - A printer or other marking device forms a first desired image in a first area, such as a main image area, of a first substrate; forms a first portion of a set of test patches in a margin area of the first substrate; forms a second desired image in a first area, such as a main image area, of a second substrate; and forms a second portion of the set of test patches in a margin area of the second substrate. A measuring device such as a spectrophotometer may be used to measure each test patch, and based on the measured values, a color calibration is performed for use in a subsequent marking operation. The color calibration may include generating or modifying a tone reproduction curve based on the measured values. The margin areas may be later trimmed off, thereby removing the portion of the substrates on which the test patches are formed. | 10-09-2008 |
20080285990 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, METHOD OF GAMMA CORRECTION AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING GAMMA CORRECTION PROGRAM - An image forming apparatus is configured to control the density of an output image based on an inherent gamma characteristic of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a patch image forming unit that forms patch images having multiple gradation values, a measuring unit that measures the density or lightness of each patch image, a sample point arrangement unit that arranges sample points representative of measured density or lightness values in a descending or ascending order of the gradation values, an inflection point region detecting unit that detects any specific inflection point region, a straight line region detecting unit that detects any specific straight line region, an interpolating unit that interpolates by adding and/or deleting a specific sample point depending upon whether (i) an inflection point region is detected, (ii) a straight line region is detected, or (iii) neither an inflection point region nor a straight line region is detected. | 11-20-2008 |
20080292339 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a toner image; toner image forming means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; detecting means for optically detecting a mark bonded on the image bearing member; adjusting means for adjusting the toner image forming means on the basis of a output of the detecting means; a protection sheet removably adhered to the mark, the protection sheet being capable of passing detecting light of the detecting means, wherein an adhesion of the protection sheet to the mark is smaller than an adhesion of the mark to image bearing member. | 11-27-2008 |
20080292340 | Image density correction method and image forming apparatus using the same - In an image density correction method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an image density correction is carried out by obtaining an actual toner amount through obtaining a density of a between-sheet patch image having been formed during continuous printing, reconstructing relational characteristics in which the actual toner amount is associated with each variation in developing biases, by considering that the actual toner amount and a reference toner amount are to be made in agreement, when a determination that the actual toner amount disagrees with the reference toner amount is made, and resetting a developing bias for realizing the reference toner amount based on the reconstructed relational characteristics and the reference toner amount. By this means, a high quality image can be obtained by suppressing color fluctuations with printing efficiency maintained at a high level even if large color fluctuations occur during continuous printing. | 11-27-2008 |
20080304841 | Virtual clean belt to enable direct sensing of toner quantity - In accordance with one aspect of the present exemplary embodiment, a system determines the amount of toner on a photo receptor in a xerographic operation. A photo receptor is charged in one or more locations to create an image. A developer places a patch of a predetermined amount of toner onto the one or more charge locations of the photo receptor. A light emitting diode projects light onto the photo receptor, wherein the intensity of the light varies based on the voltage provided to the LED. An optical reflective sensor measures the reflectance of the toner placed on the photo receptor, the amount of reflectance of the toner is related in a known way to the intensity of the LED. | 12-11-2008 |
20090010664 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The invention provides an image forming apparatus having: an image holding member; an image holding member; a charging unit; a latent image-forming unit; a development unit; a measuring unit; and a control unit. The image holding member has a substrate having a surface having regular reflectance in a range of about 30% to about 95% with respect to light having a first wavelength and a subbing layer having a light transmittance of about 50% or greater per unit thickness of the layer with respect to light having the first wavelength and a photosensitive layer having absorption with respect to light having a second wavelength that is different from the first wavelength. | 01-08-2009 |
20090016750 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is described an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to suppress quality degradation of an image on the basis of a developing electric current profile without optically detecting density of a patch image. The image forming apparatus includes: a developing current detecting sensor to detect a developing current; and a control section that conducts consecutive operations of: creating a detecting-use image pattern for detecting a developing characteristic, by aligning a plurality of image patterns, which are different from each other in density; forming a latent image of the detecting-use image pattern onto the photoreceptor element; finding a developing electric current profile, which represents a transition of the developing electric current flowing during an operation of developing the detecting-use image pattern, from an outputted signal of the developing current; and changing an image forming condition, based on the developing electric current profile found by the finding operation. | 01-15-2009 |
20090041486 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus comprises a first image forming unit that transfers a base toner image formed on a first image carrier to an intermediate transfer member and forms an image and second image forming units that are plurally disposed downstream of the first image forming unit in a moving direction of the intermediate transfer member, transfer different color toner images formed on second image carriers to the intermediate transfer member and form images. The base toner image is formed beforehand in a single color region transferred onto the intermediate transfer member from the second image carriers of the second image forming units. | 02-12-2009 |
20090047032 | SYSTEM FOR MEASURING MARKING MATERIAL ON A SURFACE, SUCH AS IN COLOR XEROGRAPHY - A printing apparatus has a substantially shiny photoreceptor imaging surface, and a photosensor array disposed to receive specularly-reflected light from the imaging surface. A quantity of toner is placed on the imaging surface, and data is derived based on light reflected from the imaging surface. The reflected light is filtered to a color effectively complementary to the toner color. The system avoids noise caused by diffusely-reflected light from powdered toner. | 02-19-2009 |
20090052914 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR WIDE FORMAT TONING - A printer or other powder deposition device may include multiple toning stations, and the toning stations may be positioned in various configurations within the device. The various configurations may position the toning stations so as to increase the toning width of the device, thereby allowing the device to print larger process widths. The device may also perform processing control for the multiple toning stations. | 02-26-2009 |
20090067859 | Method To Improve Data Collection Accuracy By Improved Windowing In A Toner Density Control System - A method of compensating for mechanical and magnification errors affecting toner density control in an image forming device is described herein. The method includes directing light towards a toner test surface, sensing the resulting reflections, and buffering the density data corresponding to the sensed reflections during a predetermined test window. The method may compensate for mechanical and magnification errors associated with the toner test pattern by processing the buffered density data to adjust the location of the data collection windows corresponding to the toner test patterns. For example, the buffered density data may be processed to detect first and second boundary patterns disposed on the toner test surface within the test window, determine a time differential between the first and second boundary patterns, and adjust the location of the data collection windows based on the determined time differential and a nominal expected time differential. | 03-12-2009 |
20090067860 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, TONE CORRECTION METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM RECORDED WITH TONE CORRECTION PROGRAM - The present invention aims to provide an image forming apparatus and the like that perform a highly-accurate tone correction in a relatively short time and includes the following: a pattern former, with use of each image forming unit, on a sheet, forming tone patches in the main or sub scanning direction ( | 03-12-2009 |
20090080920 | Toner Calibration Measurement - The present disclosure relates to a method, system and apparatus for calibrating an image forming device using a toner patch sensor which emits and detects light in at a given wavelength. A plurality of toner patches may be deposited onto a control surface, wherein the toner patches include a first toner patch including a first toner, a second toner patch including the first toner deposited over a second toner, and a third toner patch including the second toner. Signals indicative of the reflectivity of the plurality of toner patches and the control surface may be measured by emitting light of a given wavelength in the infrared spectrum and detecting the amount of incident light reflected from said plurality of toner patches and said control surface. The signals indicative of reflectivity may then be used to adjust operating parameters of the image forming device which may then control toner mass density. | 03-26-2009 |
20090092408 | Measurement of engine response curve in the presence of process direction noise - Disclosed is a method and system for compensating for printer cross-process nonuniformity. The method and system provide a means to offset a cross-process uniformity profile associated with an image output device, such as a printer, where process direction noise is measured and the cross-process uniformity profile is adjusted accordingly to provide a better representation of the image output device cross-process uniformity profile. | 04-09-2009 |
20090103935 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPER SUPPLY METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes an latent image carrier configured to carry a latent image thereon, a developing unit disposed facing the latent image carrier to develop the latent image with developer, a developer container containing the developer and attachable to the image forming apparatus, a developer detector configured to detect the presence of the developer in the developing unit, and a developer supply controller. The developer supply controller prohibits supply of the developer from the developer container to the developing unit when the developer detector detects that the developer is present in the developing unit. | 04-23-2009 |
20090110420 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPROVED CONTROL PATCH MEASUREMENT IN PRINTING SYSTEM - Printing systems, control systems, and methods are presented for controlling customer image creation in which process control patches are laterally offset from a lateral customer image boundary to mitigate adverse interaction of control patches and customer images and to improve print engine process control. | 04-30-2009 |
20090116861 | DEVELOPER CARRYING DEVICE, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS UNIT, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A pressing wall is provided in a part of the entire area of the first carrying chamber in which a first screw member is housed. The area is opposed to a bottom wall of the first carrying chamber on the lower side in the gravity direction of the first screw member and opposed to the side walls of the first carrying chamber on both lateral sides orthogonal to a rotation axis direction of the first screw member. In the area, a toner concentration of a K developer being carried is detected by a K toner concentration sensor. The pressing wall comes into contact with, from above in the gravity direction, the K developer, which moves from a lower side to an upper side in the gravity direction according to the rotation of the first screw member, and presses the K developer downward in the gravity direction. | 05-07-2009 |
20090129799 | Characterization Of Toner Patch Sensor - Methods and devices for operating a toner patch sensor in an electrophotographic image forming device. A characterization procedure for a light detector in the toner patch sensor may use one or multiple reflectance standards. A gain setting is determined that produces a predetermined target output from the toner patch sensing circuit for each of the standards. The characterization procedure may be carried out at a test bench or with the toner patch sensor installed in the corresponding device. | 05-21-2009 |
20090129800 | Characterization of Toner Patch Sensor In An Image Forming Device - A characterization procedure for the a detector in a toner patch sensor of an electrophotographic image forming device is performed with the toner patch sensor operatively connected to the image forming device's power supply. During the characterization procedure, a gain setting is determined that produces a predetermined target output from the toner patch sensor based on electromagnetic radiation reflected from a reference reflectivity sample. Subsequently, a toner patch is generated by the image forming device and a reflectance of the toner patch is measured based on the gain setting, with the toner patch sensor operatively connected to the power supply. The measurement(s) may then be used to adjust at least one electrophotographic image forming parameter. More than one reference reflectivity sample may be used, with corresponding gain settings stored in the image forming device. | 05-21-2009 |
20090129801 | SPECULAR DIFFUSE BALANCE CORRECTION METHOD - According to the invention, a method is provided for calculating a Fractional Area Coverage (FAC) for determining the density of toner to evaluate the effectiveness of a xerographic printing process. The amount of diffuse light being reflected at the specular angle is determined during densitometer calibration and subsequent specular sensor readings are corrected by subtracting a fraction of the diffuse sensor signal from the specular sensor signal. Also provided is a computer readable media having stored computer executable instructions, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer, directs a computer to perform a method for calculating a FAC for determining the density of toner to evaluate the effectiveness of a xerographic printing process. | 05-21-2009 |
20090154944 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - This invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of more reliably detecting patches formed on a recording medium while suppressing an increase in the consumption of printing media and toners. In an image forming apparatus which detects the density or color of each patch of a patch array fixed on a recording medium that is conveyed and corrects an image formation condition based on the detection result, the patches are formed as the patch array so that the conveyance-direction length of each patch gradually increases in an order of detection by the patch detection unit, and the conveyance-direction length of each patch gradually increases according to increasing of a detection position variation amount of a patch in the order of detection by the patch detection unit. | 06-18-2009 |
20090154945 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an embodiment of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt that primarily transfers a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum; a secondary transfer unit including a transfer mechanism portion that secondarily transfers the primarily transferred toner image to a paper; an optical sensor that detects a reference toner image on the transfer belt; and a shutter that protects a detection face of the optical sensor, wherein a separation/contact mechanism portion disposed so as to be brought into contact with both of the shutter and the secondary transfer unit is provided, and the separation/contact mechanism portion allows the shutter to move so as to open and allows the secondary transfer unit to move so as to separate from the transfer belt when the reference toner image is detected by the optical sensor, and allows the shutter to move so as to separate from the transfer belt when the secondary transfer unit is drawn out from an apparatus main body. | 06-18-2009 |
20090162083 | DYNAMIC ESV (SENSOR) POSITIONER FOR MULTI-COLOR CONFIGURATION - A method and system for providing dynamic sensor positioning in a color image forming device. Movably mounted sensors are provided in color printers and color reproduction to a plurality of color control patches, resulting in reduced production and mounted ESV that can be positioned substantially adjacent to a plurality of color control patches, thereby, allowing for a single ESV in a multi-color image forming device. | 06-25-2009 |
20090162084 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME - An image forming apparatus that is capable of generating highly accurate read timing of a patch image, thereby achieving highly accurate density adjustment and improving color stability. A patch image for color adjustment is read in read timing generated when a trigger bar is detected. The patch image and the trigger bar that are to be read by a color sensor are formed on a transfer material. Image formation is executed by a printer controller in an image forming condition set differently for the trigger bar and for the patch image. | 06-25-2009 |
20090175639 | Image forming apparatus and image forming method - An image forming apparatus and an image forming method, which are capable of forming images at stable image quality by executing adjustment of operating conditions at appropriate timings, are provided. When a Vsync count corresponding to an integrated value of a rotation count of an intermediate transfer belt reaches a predetermined value V | 07-09-2009 |
20090202263 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE DENSITY CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a control device that calculates a developing ability of the developing device based on a detection value detected by an optical detection device from the plural toner patches. The control device adjusts an image formation condition based on the calculated developing ability. A factor detection device is provided to detect a contributing factor that causes the developing ability to largely change after the last adjustment of the image formation condition. The control device controls image formation such that when the factor detection device does not detect the contribution factor and a developing ability calculated this time is different from that calculated last time (as to a part of the plural toner patches), the plural toner patches are formed based on a prescribed fixed image formation condition so that an attraction amount of toner attracting to the plural toner patches enter a prescribed range detectable for the optical detection device. The remaining toner patches are formed (based on an image formation condition determined) in accordance with the image formation condition previously adjusted. When the detection device detects the contribution factor, the entire toner patches are formed based on the prescribed fixed condition. | 08-13-2009 |
20090208231 | ELECTRONIC PHOTOGRAPH PRINTER - A electronic photograph printer includes a density-measurement section and a density controller section. The density-measurement section includes a density sensor | 08-20-2009 |
20090220260 | IR Fluorescent Toner Compositions - A toner patch including a toner having a given excitation wavelength and a given emission wavelength may be deposited onto a control surface. Light may be provided onto the toner patch and at least a portion of emitted light may be detected from the toner patch at the given emission wavelength by a detector. Furthermore, an operating parameter may be adjusted based on the detected emitted light. | 09-03-2009 |
20090220261 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus is provided that uses a table generated in advance to correct a gradation characteristic of an image to be formed when carrying out image forming using an image carrier. A patch is formed in an area where an image is not formed on the image carrier. A density of the patch formed on the image carrier is measured. The table is modified based on the density of the patch that has been measured. The patch is formed concurrent with image forming to the image carrier. | 09-03-2009 |
20090220262 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, a patch forming unit which actuates the respective image forming units to form density detection patches of the respective colors, a density detecting unit that detects a density of the density detecting patches, a condition correcting unit that controls the density detecting unit to detect the density of the density detecting patches of the respective colors, and corrects the image forming conditions based on respective deviations, a patch re-forming unit that, for each color for which the respective deviation is greater than a threshold value, generates a re-formed density detecting patch of the color using the respective image forming condition previously corrected by the condition correcting unit, and a condition re-correcting unit that controls the density detecting unit to detect a density of the re-formed density detecting patch and re-correct the respective image forming condition. | 09-03-2009 |
20090220263 | IMAGE-FORMING DEVICE - A patch mark-forming unit forms a first patch mark at a first density on a surface. A light emitting unit emits an incident light onto the surface moving. The incident light reflected by the surface is divided into a mirror-reflected light and a diffusion-reflected light on the surface. A first detecting unit detects an amount of the diffusion-reflected light. The patch mark forming unit reforms a second patch mark at a second density weaker than the first density it the amount detected by the first detecting unit is larger than a threshold. A second detecting unit detects an amount of the mirror-reflected light reflected by the surface on which the second patch mark has been reformed. A position calculating unit calculates, based on the amount detected by the second detecting unit, a position on the surface at which an image should be formed. An image-forming unit forms an image at the position. | 09-03-2009 |
20090220264 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY APPARATUS - An electrophotography apparatus prevents the edge effect without causing the blurring or loss of a single-dot image or a single-dot-width line. Based on a measurement of a testing patch, two templates with different sizes are generated. Image data to be printed is subjected to template matching using the templates to obtain a difference region as an image edge region of the image data where, when the image data is developed, the amount of attached toner is increased. The exposure amount for the image edge region is controlled based on a measurement of the amounts of attached toner in edge portions of the testing patch so that the difference in the attached toner amounts are minimized. | 09-03-2009 |
20090232529 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus comprising: a sensor which detects a density of a patch image formed on an image carrier; an image quality control section which controls an image forming condition based on a detection value of the sensor; and a judging section which judges if the detection value has a tendency of increasing or decreasing, or not, wherein, the image quality control section compensates the image forming condition with a first compensating amount in case when the detection value does not have the tendency of increasing nor decreasing, and compensates the image forming condition with a second compensate amount of which absolute value is larger than an absolute value of the first compensating amount corresponding to the second compensate amount, in case when the detection value has the tendency of increasing or decreasing. | 09-17-2009 |
20090238589 | Image Forming Apparatus and Method of Controlling Toner Supply - The image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor including a photoconductive layer and an overcoat layer containing electroconductive particles; a charging unit charging the photoconductor to first potential; an exposure unit setting an exposure region to have second potential smaller than the first potential in absolute values; a development unit including a developer carrier and a power supply setting the developer carrier to have third potential; a potential setting unit setting the third potential smaller than the first potential and larger than the second potential in a first image forming operation, and setting it larger than the first potential in a second image forming operation, in absolute values; a current setting unit setting an inflowing current to a fixed current value in the second image forming operation; a detection unit detecting image density in the second image forming operation; and a controller controlling toner supply according to the image density. | 09-24-2009 |
20090238590 | TONER-DENSITY CALCULATING METHOD, REFLECTIVE OPTICAL SENSOR, REFLECTIVE OPTICAL SENSOR DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner density is calculated from outputs of light-receiving elements based on a difference between a reflection property of a supporting member and a reflection property of a toner pattern. Light-emitting elements aligned in one direction that is inclined to a sub-direction emit a detection light in such a manner that a distance between adjacent spots falling on the supporting member in a second direction is equal to or smaller than a width of the toner pattern in the second direction. The light-receiving elements receive a reflected light reflected from the supporting member and/or the toner pattern. The light-receiving elements are aligned, opposed to the supporting member, in a one direction corresponding to the light-emitting elements. | 09-24-2009 |
20090245828 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image formation control unit for forming print images on an image carrier and for forming a reference toner pattern having a predetermined size between the print images formed on the image carrier; a reference image density detecting unit for detecting a image density of the reference toner pattern; and an image forming condition adjusting unit for adjusting an image forming condition based on the image density detected by the reference image density detecting unit. If a toner amount of one or plurality of the print images is greater than a predetermined value, the image formation control unit prevents any further adjustment operation performed by the image forming condition adjusting unit. | 10-01-2009 |
20090263150 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE QUALITY CORRECTION METHOD USED THEREIN - An image forming apparatus includes multiple image forming units to form different single-color images with respective different color developers and a control system to selectively perform a multicolor image forming operation, a specific-color image forming operation, a multicolor image quality correction operation, and a specific-color image quality correction operation. The control system includes an image formation mode detection unit to ascertain which of the multicolor image forming operation and the specific-color image forming operation is performed prior to a request for image quality correction; and a correction instruction unit to order the multicolor image quality correction operation when the multicolor image quality correction operation is requested, the specific-color correction operation when the specific-color image quality correction operation is requested after the specific-color image forming operation, and the multicolor image quality correction operation when the specific-color image quality correction operation is requested after the multicolor image forming operation. | 10-22-2009 |
20090274475 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, including: an image carrier; an image forming section to form a toner image on the image carrier; a transfer section to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrier to an intermediate transfer body or a recording sheet; a cleaning section to remove not transferred toner particles remaining on the image carrier, an image covering density calculating section to calculate an average image covering density of the toner image formed on plural areas divided in a lateral direction of the image carrier, during a predetermined time period; an obtaining section to obtain a difference of the average image covering density in each divided area, based on the image covering density calculated by the image covering density calculating section; and an adjusting section to adjust an amount of abrasive particles to be supplied to each divided area, based on the differences obtained by the obtaining section. | 11-05-2009 |
20090297187 | MULTI-SENSOR CALIBRATION TECHNIQUE - A method and apparatus for sensor calibration and signal processing to obtain transfer efficiency measurements in a reprographic device from a pair of reflective toner area coverage (mass) sensors, one located before transfer and the other located after. The same mass is passed under both sensors and the ratio of responses yields the necessary sensor characterization. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297188 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image supporting member for forming a developer image; a developing unit for forming a developer layer and forming the developer image on the image supporting member using developer of the developer layer; a developer supplying unit for supplying the developer to the developing unit; an image density detection unit for detecting an image density of the developer image; and a control unit for controlling a voltage applied to the developing unit and the developer supplying unit. The control unit corrects the voltage applied to at least one of the developing unit and the developer supplying unit according to the image density detected with the image density detection unit. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297189 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion and an intermediate transfer portion that has an intermediate transfer member on which a toner image is primarily transferred, the intermediate transfer portion secondarily transfers a toner image on a paper sheet; a position confirmation portion that allows confirmation of a rotational position of the intermediate transfer member; a position detector that outputs a position detection signal at a time of passage of the position confirmation portion; and a control portion which when forming a density-correction pattern image that is a combination of images which are identical to each other in color and different in density, forces the image forming portion to form the density-correction pattern image of a first color by using the position detection signal as a trigger, and forces the image forming portion to form the density-correction pattern images of a second and following colors irrespective of the position detection signal. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297190 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is provided an image forming apparatus that accurately obtains the dynamic characteristic of the apparatus when a foreign substance is adhered to a driving roller for driving an endless belt, such as a facing roller. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus uses an optical sensor to detect information of a foreign substance on the facing roller. When it is determined that there is no foreign substance information, the image forming apparatus executes profile detection of an intermediate transfer belt using the nominal circumference of the facing roller. When the optical sensor detects foreign substance information, the image forming apparatus measures the circumference of the facing roller, and performs profile detection of the intermediate transfer belt using the measured circumference of the facing roller. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297191 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - There is provided an image forming apparatus including a rotation member used for image forming and a detector for detecting light from the rotation member. First waveform data of an image-formed surface used to form an image on the rotation member is acquired by the detector. Second waveform data of the image-formed surface used to form an image on the rotation member is acquired. The second waveform data includes at least part of a detected section of the first waveform data. Information on the actual circumference of the rotation member is calculated based on matching between the acquired first and second waveform data. The acquired first waveform data and second waveform data are compared to determine whether or not to use the calculated information on the circumference. When it is determined not to use the calculated information on the circumference, information on the circumference of the rotation member is recalculated. | 12-03-2009 |
20090310994 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus is provided with a control section which stores detection results of a toner sensor regarding detection patterns. When forming a plurality of detection patterns on an intermediate transfer belt, the control section determines circumference-directional lengths of the detection patterns formed this time, based on the detection results of the toner sensor regarding the detection patterns formed immediately before. Thereby, the waste toner amount and toner consumption are not only decreased but also the time taken to detect the density of a detection pattern is reduced, while maintaining the detecting accuracy thereof. | 12-17-2009 |
20090317103 | IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS AND PREPARATION OPERATION EXECUTION METHOD - Upon completing a preparation operation including different processes, an image formation apparatus shifts to ready state in which image formation is executable, the processes including at least one process executed using a corresponding motor. The image formation apparatus comprises: an obtainer for obtaining, for each process, an estimated time period between start and completion thereof; and a controller for starting execution of, out of the processes, (i) one process whose estimated time period is the longest, then (ii) any other process so that any other process is executed in parallel with said one process. When said one process is included in the at least one process, the controller initiates the motor by high-speed initiation by applying thereto first voltage that is higher than second voltage. When any other process is included in the at least one process, the controller initiates the motor by normal initiation by applying thereto first voltage. | 12-24-2009 |
20090317104 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism, a transfer mechanism including a first endless belt receiving a toner image formed on an image carrier and a second endless belt receiving the toner image formed on the first endless belt, a first detector to detect a speed of movement of the first endless belt or a toner image transferred at a predetermined position on the first endless belt, a belt speed adjustment unit to adjust a speed of movement of the first endless belt based on results obtained by the first detector, a second detector to detect the toner image transferred at a predetermined position on the second endless belt, and a transfer adjustment unit to adjust a speed of movement of the second endless belt based on results obtained by the second detector. | 12-24-2009 |
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 |
20100003040 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING CARRIER PARTICLES IN AN ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC DEVICE | 01-07-2010 |
20100003041 | Image qualtiy adjustment method, image forming apparatus and computer readable medium - When an image forming job is completed that records onto a recording sheet an image formed on a photoconductor drum and conveys the recording sheet, a simple process control is carried out that forms some filled patch images with using some toners. After the simple process control is carried out, a determination is carried out, in accordance with a charge control value of a charge roller adjusted by the simple process control (a voltage value applied on the charge roller), whether a formal process control should be carried out or not that forms many patch images with using much toners. The formal process control is additionally carried out, when the determination means so. | 01-07-2010 |
20100014877 | DYNAMIC PROCESS CONTROL FOR PRINTING DEVICES IN THE PRESENCE OF RELOAD DEFECTS - Methods and systems are provided for controlling a printing device in the presence of reload defects. According to a first embodiment, a controller is provided to manage the printing of scheduled control patches immediately after an image of a print job. Accordingly to a second embodiment, a controller is configured to manage the printing of an image or a print job immediately after a control patch. | 01-21-2010 |
20100014878 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH TRANSFER BELT CLEANING FUNCTION - To provide an image forming apparatus which can prevent malfunction of the open/close control of a shutter due to erroneous detection of the toner on the transfer belt when the opening and closing of the shutter is detected from the output from an optical sensor. The separation/contact assembly for moving a cleaning member into and out of contact includes an arm rotationally supported on a pivot, an abutment part fixed to the body frame so as to limit the rotation of the arm and a spring for pressing the arm in the clockwise direction. The cleaning member is attached at the distal end of the arm. The cleaning member cleans the transfer belt surface when the shutter is closed, so that the cleaned transfer belt surface can be always detected when the shutter is open. | 01-21-2010 |
20100021189 | PRINTER CONTROL SYSTEM TO MINIMIZE TWO-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE QUALITY DEFECTS - An image printing system configured to minimize two-dimensional image quality non-uniformities on printed documents is provided. The image printing system includes a marking engine, a linear array sensor, an image analyzer, and a controller. The marking engine is constructed to print toner images on an image bearing surface moving in a process direction. The marking engine comprising of a toner development system. The linear array sensor is adjacent the image bearing surface and is extending in a cross-process direction. The linear array sensor is configured to scan the toner image on the image bearing surface. The image analyzer is configured to detect a two-dimensional non-uniformity in the toner image. The controller is configured to control at least one control parameter of the toner development system based on the two-dimensional image quality non-uniformity in the toner image that is detected by the linear array sensor. | 01-28-2010 |
20100028032 | METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR SETTING THE DOT SIZE OF PRINTED IMAGES GENERATED WITH THE AID OF AN ELECTROGRAPHIC PRINTING OR COPYING SYSTEM - In a method or system to set a dot size of toner images, at least one latent raster image is generated that is not to be inked with toner particles in at least one region to form a first toner image. At least one additional latent raster image is generated that is to be inked with toner particles over its entire surface, the additional latent raster image being inked with toner particles to form an additional toner image. With a sensor unit a first toner particle quantity is determined which is used to ink at least one toner image and a second toner particle quantity is determined which is used to ink the at least one additional toner image. A ratio of the first toner particle quantity and the second toner particle quantity is determined. The determined ratio is used as a measure representing a real value for an areal coverage of the first toner image and the real value is compared with a desired value. An electrical field is set, depending on a result of the comparison, to transfer toner particles to regions of the at least one latent raster image that are to be inked. | 02-04-2010 |
20100054774 | IMAGE DENSITY CONTROL DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image density control device includes a first detecting unit that detects a light amount of first specular reflected light which is reflected from a surface of an image carrier, a second detecting unit that detects a light amount of first diffuse reflected light which is reflected from an image on the surface of the image carrier, a surface change information acquiring unit that acquires a surface change information which shows changes with time, and a control unit that corrects the light amount of the first specular reflected light by using the surface change information to a light amount of second specular reflected light, and controls the density of the image by using the light amount of the first diffuse reflected light and the light amount of the second specular reflected light. | 03-04-2010 |
20100054775 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes first and second image forming devices each including a rotatable drum, a charging device for charging the drum, an exposure device for exposing the drum to light, and a developing device for developing with toner an electrostatic image formed on the drum, each of the image forming devices being configured to form an image on a sheet; a gradation pattern forming device for forming a first gradation pattern on a sheet by the first image forming device and forming a second gradation pattern on the sheet by the second image forming device; a density detecting device for detecting a density of the gradation patterns formed on the sheet; a correcting device for correcting an image forming condition of each of the toner image forming means depending on an output of the density detecting device; and a potential detecting device, selectively provided to the first image forming means, capable of detecting potential of a part of an area of the drum with respect to a rotational axis direction of the drum in order to adjust the potential of the drum. The gradation pattern forming device forms the first gradation pattern on the sheet so that at least a part of the first gradation pattern corresponds to the area and forms the second gradation pattern on the sheet so as not to overlap the first gradation pattern. | 03-04-2010 |
20100080591 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member on which a toner image is to be formed; a transferring device for transferring the toner image onto a transfer material at a transfer position; a separating member, disposed downstream of the transfer position with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member so as to contact the image bearing member, for separating the transfer material from the image bearing member; a density detecting device, disposed downstream of the transfer position with respect to the rotational direction of the image bearing member, for detecting a density of an image for density detection formed on the image bearing member; and an air moving device for moving air in the image forming apparatus in a direction of a rotation shaft of the image bearing member; wherein the density detecting device is disposed upstream of the separating member with respect to a direction of air movement by the air moving device. | 04-01-2010 |
20100092191 | DYNAMIC PROCESS CONTROL FOR IMAGE PRINTING DEVICES IN THE PRESENCE OF RELOAD DEFECTS BASED ON CUSTOMER IMAGE CONTENT - A method and system for controlling an image printing system in the presence of reload defects are provided. The method comprises placing toner images on an image bearing surface moving in a process direction, determining the density of the toner image or a portion thereof being printed on the image bearing surface, and printing a scheduled control patch at a location in the cross-process direction on the image bearing surface, wherein the location where each control patch is printed is dynamically changed based on the density of the toner image adjacent the control patch or a portion thereof. | 04-15-2010 |
20100142983 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is provided an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus, after controlling so as to develop the developer image representing the predetermined image formed a plurality of times in the same location on an image carrier by an exposing component, controls such that without performing exposure with the exposing component, the developer image, developed on the image carrier by the developing component applying a biasing voltage to the developer so as to adhere the developer to the image carrier including to the same location on the image carrier, is transferred to the transfer component and detects whether or not a ghost image is generated by comparing the density detected by a detecting component at a position of a transfer body corresponding to the same location of the image carrier to a reference density. | 06-10-2010 |
20100150589 | Toner Calibration in an Image Forming Device - The present disclosure relates to a method, system and apparatus for calibrating toner measurement in an image forming device. A toner patch is deposited onto a control surface, the toner patch reflecting light in a plurality of wavelengths in the infrared spectrum. A toner patch sensor emits light at the plurality of wavelengths in the infrared spectrum onto the toner patch. The amount of incident light reflected from the toner patch at the plurality of wavelengths from the emitted light is measured, and used to generate measured signals indicative of the reflectivity of the toner patch. An operating parameter of the image forming device is adjusted based upon the measured signals. | 06-17-2010 |
20100150590 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including: a control section that detects an amount of light emitted from light emitting section and controls an amount of light emitted, and forms a patch in a non-image transfer region of a photoreceptor, and controls image forming conditions according to a detected result of density of the patch formed on the non-image transfer region; wherein said control section, during an interval between sheets, which corresponds to an interval between a period of image formation of a first image to be transferred to said recording sheet and a period of image formation of a second image to be transferred to next recording sheet, forms said patch by carrying out light amount control for forming said patch, and carries out light amount control for forming images to be transferred to said recording sheet. | 06-17-2010 |
20100166443 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD - An image processing apparatus is provided in which the accuracy of measurement of an amount of toner adhesion is improved by forming a toner image pattern according to a detection scheme for the amount of toner adhesion. In the image processing apparatus, a toner image pattern control unit | 07-01-2010 |
20100221025 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes, a carrier element, an image forming unit, a patch mark generation unit, a specular reflected light detection unit that detects light irradiated onto the carrier element by the irradiation unit and specularly-reflected by the carrier element or patch marks, and a diffuse reflected light detection unit that detects the light irradiated onto the carrier element by the irradiation unit and diffusely-reflected by the carrier element or the patch marks. Additionally, the image forming apparatus includes, a correction unit that corrects at least one of a value detected by the specular reflected light detection unit and the diffuse reflected light detection unit, a correction condition determination unit that determines correction conditions for the correction unit, and a density calculation unit that calculates a density of a patch mark. | 09-02-2010 |
20100226668 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING AN AMOUNT OF TONER MASS ON A PHOTORECEPTOR - A light-transmissive transfer belt used in the system for determining toner mass amount and methods for making the belt. A system and method, using the transparent transfer belt, is capable of determining an amount of toner mass present on a toner application surface, and the real-time adjustment of parameters controlling xerographic transfer performance in the system. The system comprises transmission-based sensors alone and in combination with reflective-based sensors. | 09-09-2010 |
20100226669 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a visible image detecting unit, a shielding part, a conveying passage, and a medium contact part. The visible image detecting unit includes a detecting part and detects a visible image, and the detecting part is disposed to face the image holding member. The shielding part is supported to be movable between a shielding position where the detecting part is shielded, and a detection permitting position where the detecting part is exposed. The medium contact part is supported to be movable between an entry position where the medium contact part enters a conveying passage, and a medium contact position where the medium contact part comes into contact with a medium and recedes from the entry position. The image forming apparatus moves the shielding part while interlocking with the movement of the medium contact part. | 09-09-2010 |
20100239284 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE THAT REDUCES CONSUMPTION OF TONER USED FOR NON-PRINTING PURPOSE - When carrying out monochrome printing, an engine unit of a printer calculates an amount of toner consumed as lubricant by a color photoreceptor according to the number of sheets to be printed (S | 09-23-2010 |
20100247124 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes plural image holding members; an intermediate transfer material; a transfer unit that transfers the toner images onto a recording medium; a density control toner image creating unit that creates a density control toner image at a constant position on each of the image holding members; a density detection unit that detects density of the density control toner image transferred onto a non-image region; and a creation timing control unit that controls timing of creating the density control toner image to create the density control toner image in the non-image region of the intermediate transfer material at a position where a length obtained by integrally multiplying the length obtained by adding the non-image region to the image region along the moving direction of the intermediate transfer material becomes equal to a length obtained by integrally multiplying the circumferential length of the image holding member. | 09-30-2010 |
20100247125 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming device for forming a color image. The toner image forming device forms a first color test image and a second color test image superposedly on an image conveying member so that at least one of a screen angle and a screen ruling with respect to the first color test image is different from that with respect to the second color test image. The image forming apparatus further includes a detecting device for detecting a distribution of heights of the first and second color test images formed superposedly on the image conveying member by the toner image forming device, and a control device for controlling a toner image forming condition of the toner image forming device on the basis of the distribution detected by the detecting device. | 09-30-2010 |
20100266302 | TONER-DENSITY CALCULATING METHOD, REFLECTIVE OPTICAL SENSOR, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a reflective optical sensor in an image forming apparatus, an output from each N number of light-receiving elements (N≧3), obtained when M number of light-emitting elements (M≧3) included in a light-emitting unit emit detecting light, is separated into an amount of specularly reflected light and an amount of diffusely reflected light. The toner density of a pattern, which is formed on a supporting member in the image forming apparatus, is calculated based on a sum of the amounts of specularly reflected light and a sum of the amounts of diffusely reflected light. | 10-21-2010 |
20100272457 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A developing device includes a developer container storing a developer, a developer supplying member supplying a toner stored in the developer container to an image bearing member, a voltage applying unit capable of applying a bias voltage to the developer supplying member, an image density detecting unit detecting a density of toner formed on the image bearing member, and a control unit correcting a toner concentration in the developer on the basis of a result of image density detection of a reference toner image formed on the image bearing member. The control unit is capable of executing a first toner concentration correction between printing operations and executing a second toner concentration correction between predetermined points during continuous printing. | 10-28-2010 |
20100278548 | AUTOMATED CLEANER FOR A CHARGING DEVICE - An image forming apparatus including: a first charging device for charging an imageable surface; recording means for recording an electrostatic latent image on the imageable surface; developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image with developer; a second charging device for transferring a developer image on the imageable surface onto an a substrate; control means for setting a value of the bias of either the first charging device or the second charging device from an operating bias to a testing bias; test pattern forming means for forming test patterns on the imageable surface at operating bias and said testing bias; test patterns detection means for scanning non-uniformity of the test patterns, and means for associating non-uniformity of the test patterns to a reliability condition of either the first charging device and/or second charging device. | 11-04-2010 |
20100284704 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, image adjustment is performed by detecting a toner image constituting an image adjustment pattern | 11-11-2010 |
20100290799 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a first reading device which reads a reference image formed on a sheet, a second reading device which reads a reference image formed on an image carrier, a control device which can execute a first control process for adjusting image formation conditions based on a density of the reference image acquired from a read result of the first reading device, and a second control process for adjusting the image formation conditions based on a density of the reference image acquired from a read result of the second reading device, wherein the control device executes the second control process before performing image formation based on the image data when the first control process has not been executed in a period from when mounting of the unit configuring the image forming device is detected to when image formation is performed. | 11-18-2010 |
20100303490 | Image forming apparatus - A image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing body, an exposing unit that irradiates the image bearing body to form a latent image, a developer bearing body that develops the latent image to form a developer image, a transfer unit that transfers the developer image to a recording medium, a feeding unit that feeds the recording medium, a density detecting unit that detects a developer density of the developer image transferred to the recording medium, and a speed difference control unit that controls a difference of a circumferential speed of the image bearing body and a feeding speed of the recording medium fed by the feeding unit. The speed difference is controlled based on a density of a thin line pattern transferred to the recording medium detected by the density detecting unit. | 12-02-2010 |
20100310265 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus which makes it possible to resolve correction error of potential unevenness caused by insufficient mounting accuracy of an image carrier, in a relatively short time period without performing a conventional operation for removing the image carrier. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, an exposure unit, an electrical potential sensor, a shading data ROM, and a CPU. Electrical potential data items associated with respective positions on the surface of the photosensitive drum are stored in the shading data ROM. The CPU corrects an exposure amount onto the photosensitive drum by the exposure unit, based on the electrical potential data read from the ROM, and based on the result of correction, adjusts timing for reading out the data. | 12-09-2010 |
20100316400 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus employing a contact development system, contact of a development roller | 12-16-2010 |
20100316401 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; a charging device for electrically charging the photosensitive member; an exposure device for exposing to light the photosensitive member electrically charged by the charging device to form an electrostatic image; a developing device for developing the electrostatic image with toner to form a first patch and a second patch; a detecting device for detecting a density of the first and second patches formed by the developing device; and a control device for controlling an image forming condition on the basis of a difference in density between the first patch formed on the photosensitive member at a portion where a surface potential of the photosensitive member is zero volts and the second patch formed at a portion electrically charged by applying a predetermined charging bias to the charging device. | 12-16-2010 |
20100322648 | TONER IMAGE HEIGHT MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A toner image height measurement apparatus capable of accurately measuring heights of toner images of respective colors with a relatively simple construction and without being affected by toner colors. With motion of an image carrier, there occurs a change in reflection light amount detected by a photodiode of the height measurement apparatus in timing when laser light having been irradiated onto the image carrier starts to be irradiated onto or intercepted by a toner image and in timing when the laser light having been irradiated onto the toner image starts to be irradiated onto the image carrier. Based on a principle that these timings vary according to a toner image height, the height measurement apparatus detects the timing when the reflection light amount changes by a predetermined amount, thereby detecting the toner image height. | 12-23-2010 |
20100322649 | Image forming device and method - An image forming device and method improves image quality by detecting the density of a pattern and adjusting the voltage applied to a developer supply member if necessary in response to the detected density. The pattern can be a medium duty tone pattern, which is relatively sensitive to environmental changes that can affect image density. The density detection pattern can be produced and detected after every predetermined number of sheets are printed, to maintain an acceptable image density during large print jobs. The pattern is formed on the surface of a transferring unit, which transfers the sheets. | 12-23-2010 |
20100329709 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a charging device that charges a surface of the image carrier; an exposure device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the image carrier; a developing device that forms a toner image by transferring toner to the electrostatic latent image from a developing member opposed to the image carrier; and a transfer device that either directly transfers the toner image onto a recording medium or transfers the toner image onto a recording medium after the toner image is temporarily transferred onto an intermediate transfer member. | 12-30-2010 |
20100329710 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, which appropriately performs a banding correction even if similar banding does not always occur at a same position of a recording medium, detects reflected light from a test patch image and obtains information on a density change caused by a periodically-uneven rotation of a rotation member, and performs a density correction at an arbitrary position of a print image based on the acquired information on the density change. | 12-30-2010 |
20100329711 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH TONER DENSITY DETECTION SECTION - An image forming apparatus includes a density sensor that measures density of patch images formed on an image carrier; and a controller that forms patch images having respectively plural density types in which image forming conditions are different respectively and corrects the image forming conditions based on measured density values of the patch images by the density sensor. The controller causes a first irradiation light amount by the light emitting section when measuring patch images whose ratio covered by toner of the image carrier is a prescribed value or more to be set different from a second irradiation light amount by the light emitting section when measuring patch images whose ratio covered by toner of the image carrier is less than the prescribed value. | 12-30-2010 |
20100329712 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An apparatus includes an image formation unit including a photosensitive drum and a motor for driving the image formation unit. The apparatus acquires a frequency generator signal, which is phase information output from the motor as the motor rotates. In addition, the apparatus corrects unevenness of the density that may occur due to the rotation of the motor according to the acquired phase information. | 12-30-2010 |
20110013919 | Image forming apparatus capable of reducing image expansion and contraction - In an image forming apparatus, a control device recognizes expansion and contraction of a pattern image based on an output of an image detector. The control device calculates a driving motor velocity fluctuation cancellation pattern for driving a common drive source. The driving motor velocity fluctuation cancellation pattern creates a latent image expansion and contraction cancellation pattern capable of canceling the expansion and contraction of the pattern image detected by the image detecting device. A process of obtaining the cancellation patterns is executed except when a print job for forming the toner image is executed in accordance with image information. The control device controls the common drive source in accordance with the cancellation driving motor pattern. | 01-20-2011 |
20110013920 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a latent image carrier; a developing device to develop a latent image formed on a surface of the latent image carrier with toner to form a toner image; a transfer device to either directly transfer the toner image onto a recording medium, or to primarily transfer the toner image from the latent image carrier onto an intermediate transfer body and then secondarily transfer the toner image from the intermediate transfer body onto a recording medium; a post-transfer imaging unit to photograph the surface of the latent image carrier or the intermediate transfer body after transfer of the toner image; and a control unit to control one or more image forming conditions based on a quantified value for residual toner of a detection pattern formed on the surface of the latent image carrier or the intermediate transfer body. | 01-20-2011 |
20110026956 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable belt member; a toner image forming unit which forms a toner image on the belt member; a first detection unit which detects the density of the toner image transferred to the belt member; a plurality of position marks which detects a position in the circumferential direction of the belt member; a second detection unit which detects the position marks; a calculation unit which calculates the position in the circumferential direction of the belt member based on a detection result of the second detection unit; and an adjustment unit which adjusts toner image forming conditions of the toner image forming unit based on the output of the first detection unit and the circumferential direction position calculated by the calculation unit; wherein the shape of each of the plurality of position marks is different at each circumferential direction position. | 02-03-2011 |
20110033196 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH DENSITY CORRECTION FUNCTION AND DENSITY CORRECTION METHOD - An image forming apparatus with a correction function for correcting density of an image, including: an image bearing member configured to convey the image in a first direction; and a controller configured to perform a bias correction and a γ correction for the density, wherein the controller includes: a test patch generator configured to generate on the image bearing member a test patch including a first test patch and a second test patch; a first density sensor configured to detect density of the first test patch; a second density sensor configured to detect density of the second test patch; a selector configured to select one of a first detection signal from the first density sensor and a second detection signal from the second density sensor as a bias-correction detection signal and another detection signal as a γ-correction detection signal. | 02-10-2011 |
20110044707 | TONER IMAGE PROCESSING MACHINE WITH CHARGE COMPENSATION AND METHOD THEREOF - A method for compensating a charge retentive imaging surface for a photoreceptor in a toner image processing machine, the surface including a plurality of panels, each panel including a document printing zone (DPZ) and an interdocument zone (IDZ), and the machine including at least one specially programmed computer, at least one sensor, and charging members for charging the surface, including: measuring for each panel, using the sensor, first density values for a plurality of points in the DPZ, the DPZ in a printing region of the photoreceptor; measuring for each panel, using the sensor, a second density value for the IDZ; determining for each IDZ, using a processor in the computer, a respective compensated IDZ density value; and modifying operation of the charging members according to the compensated IDZ density values, such that the first density values for said each panel are substantially centered with a desired density value. | 02-24-2011 |
20110044708 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit for forming a first developer image; a second image forming unit for forming a second developer image; a transfer unit for transferring at least one of the first developer image and the second developer image; a separation contacting unit for moving at least one of the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit to a first position and a second position; a density measurement unit for measuring a first image density and a second image density of the first developer image; and a control unit including a density calculation unit for calculating a difference between the first image density and the second image density and a density correction unit for correcting a density of the first developer image according to the difference. | 02-24-2011 |
20110052228 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR BANDING COMPENSATION USING ELECTROSTATIC VOLTMETER BASED SENSING - A method and system for compensating for an image quality defect in an image printing system comprising at least one marking station, the at least one marking station comprising a charging device for charging the image bearing surface, an exposing device for irradiating and discharging the image bearing surface to form a latent image, a developer unit for developing toner to the image bearing surface, and a transfer unit for transferring toner from the image bearing surface to an image accumulation surface is provided. The method includes sensing the image quality defect on an image bearing surface by an electrostatic voltmeter (ESV) in the image printing system and determining the frequency, amplitude, and/or phase of the image quality defect by a processor. In one embodiment, the method includes compensating for the image quality defect by modulating the power of an exposing device during an expose process. In another embodiment, the method includes compensating for the image quality defect by modifying image content. | 03-03-2011 |
20110052229 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier and a detection unit. The image carrier is stretched around a plurality of rolls. The detection unit detects a density of a toner image formed on the image carrier, based on an amount of regularly reflected light from a surface of the image carrier. A detection length where the detection unit performs the detection in a movement direction of the image carrier is longer than a length, in the movement direction of the image carrier, of a deformation area where a deformation of the image carrier is caused. | 03-03-2011 |
20110052230 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An embodiment of an image forming apparatus may include a photosensitive member, a development unit, a transfer member, a sensor, and a correcting unit. The development unit may form a toner image on the photosensitive member. The toner image member may be transferred onto the transfer member. The sensor may detect light from a surface of the transfer member. The correcting unit may correct a toner density in a first area of the transfer member after transfer of a toner image of a test pattern to the first area. The correcting unit may correct the toner density on the basis of a difference between an output value of the sensor from a second area before the transfer of the toner image of the test pattern and an output value of the sensor from the second area after the transfer of the toner image of the test pattern. | 03-03-2011 |
20110052231 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DETECTING METHOD OF PATTERN IMAGE REGARDING IMAGE QUALITY ADJUSTMENT - An image forming apparatus includes: an obtaining unit that radiates light from a light-emitting unit onto the image carrier and that obtains an output value of a light-receiving unit having received the light reflected from the image carrier; a light amount setting unit that calculates a required light amount value and that sets a light amount adjusting value; a detecting unit that detects a pattern image on the image carrier and by judging whether an output value obtained by radiating light of the light amount adjusting value exceeds a predetermined threshold; and a controller that controls image formation on the image carrier based on a detected result, wherein the detecting unit reduces the threshold when the required light amount value exceeds the limiting value depending on degree of the excess. | 03-03-2011 |
20110052232 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CORRECTING IMAGE CONCENTRATION - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a first detector including a first light emitting device, a first mixed-light receiving device and a first diffuse reflection light receiving device, a second detector including a second light emitting device and a second mixed-light receiving device, and a concentration correction unit. The first mixed-light receiving device detects a mixed light including regular and diffuse reflection light reflected from a transport member. The first diffuse reflection light receiving device detects the diffuse reflection light. The second mixed-light receiving device detects the mixed light. The concentration correction unit conducts concentration correction using detection results of the first and second detectors. A first correction pattern reflecting the regular and diffuse reflection light and detectable by the first detector and a second correction pattern reflecting only the regular reflection light and detectable by the second detector are formed different positions on the transport member. | 03-03-2011 |
20110058832 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - By using a black-image forming device, an abrasive pattern is formed on a sheet conveying belt so that toner is input to a contact section where a cleaning blade is in contact with the sheet conveying belt. After the toner is input to the contact section where the cleaning blade is in contact with the sheet conveying belt and then the sheet conveying belt makes one or more revolutions, a process control is performed in which Y, M, and C tone patterns and B tone pattern are transferred onto the sheet conveying belt. | 03-10-2011 |
20110069981 | Belt drive device and image forming apparatus - A belt drive device for an image forming apparatus includes a belt, a roller, a roller drive member, a state detector and a controller. The roller drive member drives the roller that entrains the belt. The state detector detects a state of the belt. The controller identifies a specific portion of the belt based on the state detected by the state detector, and controls the roller drive member to stop the belt so that the specific portion lies at a predetermined position. | 03-24-2011 |
20110076040 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DENSITY UNEVENNESS DETECTION METHOD - A plurality of test patches each including a dark and light image which has density unevenness of a predetermined period in which the plurality of test patches are differentiated in phase difference relative to a phase of density unevenness induced by rotational unevenness occurring at a predetermined period in the motor for driving a photosensitive drum is formed. Then, density information of the plurality of test patches with is detected by a density sensor | 03-31-2011 |
20110097095 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable belt; a first image bearing member; first image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image and a toner image on the first member; a second image bearing member disposed downstream of the first member; second image forming device for forming an latent image and a toner image on the second member; transferring device for transferring, onto a belt or onto a recording material carried on the belt, the toner image formed on the first member and a toner image formed on the second member; feeding direction calculating device for calculating a moving direction of a predetermined point on the belt; an executing portion for executing an operation in a correcting mode in which a positional relation between an adjustment toner image transferred onto the belt from the first member and adjustment toner image transferred onto the belt from the second member is detected, and a writing starting position of the latent image to be formed on at least one of the members on the basis of a result of the detection; and changing device for changing the writing starting position determined by the correcting mode on the basis of a difference between the moving direction calculated by the feeding direction calculating device during the operation in the correcting mode and the moving direction calculated by the feeding direction calculating device during image formation based on an inputted image formation signal. | 04-28-2011 |
20110097096 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member which bears a toner image, an intermediate transfer member which bears the toner image transferred from the image bearing member, an endless recording material-conveying member which conveys a recording material, and a transfer portion which transfers the toner image to the recording material conveyed from the intermediate transfer member by the recording material-conveying member, wherein a perimeter of the intermediate transfer member is set to substantially an integral multiple of a perimeter of the recording material-conveying member. | 04-28-2011 |
20110103813 | Correction Method, Apparatus, Data Carrier or System for Correcting for Unintended Spatial Variation in Lightness Across a Physical Image Produced by a Xerographic Process - A correction method for correcting unintended spatial variation in lightness across a physical image produced by a xerographic process, the method comprising producing a test image using the xerographic process, measuring a difference between actual lightness and intended lightness across at least part of the test image, and varying the light source level used subsequently in the xerographic process to correct for the measured unintended difference. | 05-05-2011 |
20110103814 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - The image forming apparatus includes a first latent image carrier; a first developing member develops the latent image by a first liquid developer; a second latent image carrier; a second developing member develops the latent image by a second liquid developer; a transfer medium that forms first and second nip portion; a detecting unit; and a control unit, that, when the first image is a first image density, detect the first image passed through the second nip portion formed by the transfer medium and the second latent image carrier while the second developing member contacts with the second latent image carrier, and when the first image is a second image density higher than the first image density, detect the first image passed through the second nip portion formed by the transfer medium and the second latent image carrier while the second developing member separates form the second latent image carrier. | 05-05-2011 |
20110103815 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a belt; a plurality of rollers for stretching the belt; a mechanism for generating a force, at an end portion of the belt, in a direction in which lateral deviation of the belt is corrected; a forming device for forming a toner image on the belt; a first sensor capable of detecting a density of the toner image formed on the belt on one end side of the belt; a second sensor capable of detecting the density of the toner image formed on the belt on the other end side of the belt; and a control device for selecting one of the first and second sensors which provides smaller variation in a result of detection when the belt is free from the toner image, and for controlling an image forming condition of the forming device on the basis of a detection result of the density of the toner image by the selected sensor. | 05-05-2011 |
20110110676 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a toner image forming device, an intermediate transfer member, a primary transfer device, a toner adherence detector, a secondary transfer device, and a controller. The toner image forming device forms a toner image and a toner pattern for detection of degradation of toner on the image bearing member. The primary transfer device transfers the toner pattern onto the intermediate transfer member with transfer conditions that deliberately reduce transfer efficiency compared with that for image formation. The toner adherence detector detects an amount of toner adhered to the toner pattern at multiple places. The controller calculates a degree of degradation of toner based on the difference in the amount of toner adhered to the toner pattern detected by the toner adherence detector and adjusts secondary transfer conditions for the secondary transfer device based on the obtained degradation of toner. | 05-12-2011 |
20110123209 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a color image forming portion for forming a color toner image on an image bearing member; a transparent image forming portion for forming a transparent toner image on the image bearing member. The color image forming portion is capable of forming a test color toner image on the image bearing member, and the transparent image forming portion is capable of forming a test transparent toner image on the image bearing member. The apparatus further includes a detecting portion for detecting a density of each of the test color toner image and the test transparent toner image; and a control portion for controlling an image forming condition for an image to be formed on a recording material, on the basis of a result of detection of the density of each of the test color toner image and the transparent toner image. The test transparent toner image and the test color toner image are formed on the image bearing member by the transparent image forming portion and the color image forming portion between an operation for forming the image to be formed on the recording material and a subsequent operation for forming the image to be formed on the recording material. A frequency of formations of the test transparent toner images is lower than that of the formations of the test color toner images. | 05-26-2011 |
20110142463 | BELT DEVICE, TRANSFERRING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A belt device includes an endless belt including at least a base layer and a coat layer, the coat layer formed on the base layer and configuring an upper most surface of the belt; a driving member that rotates the belt and that is provided at one end of the belt to bias an inner circumferential surface of the belt; and a driven member that rotates the belt and that is provided at other end of the belt to bias the inner circumferential surface of the belt. Wherein the base layer has a mirror specularity of 20-60. | 06-16-2011 |
20110158667 | Image output device, image output method, and computer program product - An image output device includes a storage unit, an input unit, a layout deriving unit, and an output unit. The storage unit preliminarily stores therein an optimum interval of a plurality of the same color and tone patches formed on a sheet at which an average density value of the patches is stabilized. The input unit receives an input of a condition for arrangement of the patches from a user. The layout deriving unit determines arrangement of the patches on the sheet on the basis of the input condition for arrangement and the optimum interval. The output unit outputs the patches onto the sheet in the determined arrangement. | 06-30-2011 |
20110158668 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A high-density area of a low-reflectance patch image is accurately detected. There is an image forming apparatus that detects the density of a patch image by radiating light from a laser oscillator | 06-30-2011 |
20110182601 | Image Forming Apparatus - In the image forming apparatus, the partial image data for gradation adjustment is threshold conversion data of a partial image, the partial image is a part of a base pattern image with a predetermined size and does not contain any sides of the base pattern image, and the base pattern image is an image generated in an error diffusion method; and the patch image generator unit generates an image of a toner pattern by arranging the partial image of the partial image data repeatedly, and forms the toner pattern. | 07-28-2011 |
20110182602 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming system is provided. The image forming system includes an image forming apparatus configured to form a mark for detecting at least one of a position deviation and a density deviation and obtains a correction amount by detecting the mark, the image forming system comprising: an identification unit configured to identify an image characteristic of an image to be printed according to at least one of a positional relationship between colors, a gradation distribution and a resolution, and a selecting unit configured to select a choice from multiple choices containing at least two choices of: only position deviation; only density deviation; and both position deviation and density deviation, according to the image characteristic identified by the identification unit, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to form the mark for obtaining the correction amount according to the choice selected by the selecting unit. | 07-28-2011 |
20110188871 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT ADOPTS IMAGE DENSITY CONTROL WITH DENSITY SENSORS - An image forming apparatus that can reduce the time period for rotation of an intermediate transfer unit required before toner patches are formed, and measurement of toner patch densities while continuing the rotation. A toner image formed on a photosensitive drum is transferred to a surface of the intermediate transfer unit. A toner image for detection is formed on the intermediate transfer unit, and image forming conditions are corrected based on the amount of toner obtained by reading the toner image for detection. Two density sensors read the surface of the intermediate transfer unit. Outputs from the two density sensors are stored as a first profile and a second profile, respectively. A toner density of the toner image for detection is calculated based on the first and second profiles, and image forming conditions are corrected based on the toner density. | 08-04-2011 |
20110194865 | IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE AMOUNT OR DENSITY OF TONER OF A TONER PATCH - An image-forming apparatus includes an optical sensor including a light-receiving element that receives light reflected by a belt-like moving medium to produce an output corresponding to the amount of light received. This image-forming apparatus determines the density of a toner patch image formed by an image-forming unit by correcting an output produced when the optical sensor detects the toner patch image at a position on a roller disposed opposite the sensor on the basis of an output produced by the optical sensor in an area where no toner image is formed on the belt-like moving medium at the same position on the opposite roller as the position where the sensor detects the toner patch image. | 08-11-2011 |
20110200346 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MINIMIZING NON-UNIFORMITIES IN OUTPUT IMAGES USING HALFTONE CORRECTION PATCHES - Disclosed herein are a method and a printing apparatus implementing the method to minimize cross-process direction non-uniformities of color images in printed documents. When printing images on a photoreceptor, halftone test patches are generated for each color. A first halftone cell orientation (of dots) of the test patches and their corresponding color image data is determined. The halftone cells of test patches may be provided or rotated to a second orientation (or angle or degrees) for printing in an inter-document zone of the photoreceptor, while the first orientation of the color image data in the document image area of the photoreceptor remains the same. Errors or non-uniformities (e.g., with TRC correction) caused by sensor misreading of test patches at specific orientations in the cross-process direction are substantially eliminated, thereby providing output images without streaks or visible errors. | 08-18-2011 |
20110200347 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member, a first detection unit configured to detect a height of the toner image formed according to a predetermined image forming condition by the image forming unit, a determination unit configured to determine an image forming condition of the image forming unit according to a detection result of the first detection unit, a second detection unit configured to detect a density of the toner image formed according to a predetermined image forming condition by the image forming unit, and a correction unit configured to correct the image forming condition of the image forming unit determined by the determination unit based on the density of the toner image detected by the second detection unit. | 08-18-2011 |
20110206396 | XEROGRAPHIC DEVELOPER - There is provided an apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including: a housing defining a reservoir storing a supply of developer material comprising toner; a donor member positioned in the housing, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting toner on an outer surface of the donor member to a region opposed from the imaging surface, a print quality system for monitoring a plurality of xerographic actuator parameters, the print quality system generating a feedback signal if at least one of a plurality of xerographic actuator parameters is beyond a predefined threshold limit; and system for translating the donor member from a first predefined spacing to a second predefined spacing from the imaging surface in response to the feedback signal from the print quality system. | 08-25-2011 |
20110206397 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus comprising a latent image carrier for supporting a latent image, a charging unit for charging the latent image carrier, a developing unit for developing the latent image supported by the latent image carrier which has a developing member for supporting a liquid developer containing a toner and a carrier liquid, and to which a developing bias is applied, a first optical density detector for detecting the toner optical density in the liquid developer supported by the latent image carrier developed by the developing member, a squeeze unit for squeezing the latent image carrier which has a squeeze member brought into contact with the latent image carrier for which toner optical density has been detected by the first optical density detector, and a second optical density detector for detecting the toner optical density of the liquid developer supported by the latent image carrier squeezed by the squeeze member. | 08-25-2011 |
20110206398 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MEASURING LINEAR SPEED - An image forming apparatus including an image carrying member, a detecting section, and a linear-speed deriving section. The image carrying member carries a toner image. The detecting section detects passages of a mark, provided on the image carrying member, at a plurality of predetermined detection positions. The linear-speed deriving section determines a linear speed of the image carrying member from times at which the detecting section detects the passage of the mark. | 08-25-2011 |
20110206399 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an endless intermediate transfer belt rotatably stretched over a plurality of rollers, and a detector to read a pattern on the intermediate transfer belt. One of the rollers includes a first portion disposed opposite an area on the intermediate transfer belt including a pattern passing position, and a second portion not including a pattern passing position. The first portion has a diameter smaller than that of the second portion thereof, and an elastic material is superimposed on the second portion only. The detector is disposed between a second roller disposed upstream of the first roller and a third roller disposed downstream of the first roller, and opposite the intermediate transfer belt. | 08-25-2011 |
20110211852 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus having an image carrier; an electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a development device having a housing section that stores toner therein, a stirring device for stirring the toner inside the housing section, and a toner, carrier that develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image by imparting the toner to the image carrier; a voltage applying device that applies a development bias voltage between the image carrier and the toner carrier; a control device that makes the electrostatic latent image forming device and the development device form a test toner image on the image carrier; and a sensing device that senses a toner adhering amount of the test toner image. The control device determines whether to make the stirring device stir the toner based upon a relation between the toner adhering amount of the test toner image and the development bias voltage that was applied by the voltage applying device for formation of the test toner image. | 09-01-2011 |
20110211853 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND STORING MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a forming unit configured to form an image on a relatively moving object, the image including a mark; a first detection unit configured to detect the mark formed by the forming unit so as to obtain a first detection result; a correction unit configured to execute a correction process in which an image forming condition of the image forming unit is changed based on the first detection result; a setting unit configured to set the correction process not to be executed when a value related to a correction accuracy of the correction unit is lower than a reference value; and a control unit configured to control the correction process based on the setting by the setting unit. | 09-01-2011 |
20110222882 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a recording medium transport belt which is suspended by a plurality of roller members. An image is secondarily transferred from a first image carrier through an intermediate transfer body to a recording medium. An image is directly transferred from a second image carrier to the recording medium. The image forming apparatus further includes a pattern image sensing unit which senses a pattern image transferred from the first image carrier and the second image carrier finally to the recording medium transport belt. Each of a distance from a secondary transfer position to a sensing position and a distance from a direct transfer position to the sensing position in a recording medium transport belt rotation direction is a natural number times a circumferential length of a roller member causing a speed change in the recording medium transport belt among the plurality of roller members. | 09-15-2011 |
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 |
20110243588 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT ENABLES REDUCING TIME REQUIRED FOR ADJUSTMENT OPERATION - An image forming apparatus that can reduce the time required for adjustment operations when a first adjustment operation that requires speed change and a second adjustment operation that does not require speed change overlap. When a first adjustment operation that can be performed at a first speed is to be performed during operation at a second speed lower than the first speed, the image formation speed is changed from the second speed to the first speed. When a second adjustment operation that can be performed at a plurality of image formation speeds is to be performed during operation at the second speed, the second adjustment operation is performed while maintaining the second speed. When both the first adjustment operation and the second adjustment operation are to be performed during operation at the second speed, the image formation speed is changed from the second speed to the first speed. | 10-06-2011 |
20110243589 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND DENSITY CORRECTION METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes an image forming unit, an image control unit, a sensor, and a correction unit. The image control unit controls the image forming unit to perform toner refresh which is an operation of outputting deteriorated toner at a high density, and controls the image forming unit to form a predetermined pattern. The sensor measures a density value of the formed image. The correction unit corrects the toner density for a high-density operation using the value measured from the image formed during the toner refresh and corrects the toner density for at least a low-density operation using the value measured from the predetermined pattern. | 10-06-2011 |
20110268462 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DENSITY ADJUSTING METHOD - An image forming apparatus has a memory, an image forming unit, an intermediate transfer member, a density detector, a background density measurer, a test patch controlling unit and a density correcting unit. The density detector detects the density of the intermediate transfer member. The background density measurer stores background density, in the memory in correspondence with position information on the intermediate transfer member at a predetermined timing before a calibration for adjusting image formation density. The test patch controlling unit causes the image forming unit to form a test patch, on the intermediate transfer member while the intermediate transfer member is driven at a predetermined speed. The density correcting unit executes the calibration to adjust image formation density according to a difference between the background density stored in the memory when executing the calibration and corresponding to the position and density of the test patch. | 11-03-2011 |
20110274455 | TONER STARVATION REDUCTION USING PATCH SENSING AND FEEDBACK - The present disclosure is a simple method to compensate for development starvation in an existing development control system already using solid area development and halftone development patches. By using a small aperture specular sensor, it is possible to measure the starvation and compare with a standard. Defect level can then be addressed by correcting toner concentration to reduce the image density defect at the solid/halftone boundary. | 11-10-2011 |
20110280605 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a toner image forming unit, a sensor, and a control unit. The toner image forming unit is configured to form a toner image on the image bearing member. The sensor includes a light-emitting unit for emitting light, a light-receiving unit for receiving reflected light, an electrical circuit board in which the light-emitting unit is attached, and a frame supporting the electrical circuit board with the electrical circuit board bonded with three supporting portions. The sensor is configured to detect the toner image formed on the image bearing member. The control unit is configured to control a toner image forming condition of the toner image forming unit according to an output of the sensor. | 11-17-2011 |
20110293302 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, PRINTING APPARATUS, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD - One aspect of the present invention provides an information processing apparatus for determining a height of a toner image formed on a carrier, the apparatus comprising: a control unit configured to control an amount of irradiation light based on whether laser light irradiated by an irradiation unit is irradiated onto the toner image; an acquisition unit configured to acquire an image obtained by capturing reflected light of the laser light irradiated by the irradiation unit; and a determination unit configured to determine the height of the toner image based on the acquired image. | 12-01-2011 |
20110293303 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A multifunction peripheral includes: development units of respective colors; an intermediate transfer belt; a transfer roller; a movement mechanism that moves the intermediate transfer belt in a direction of coming in contact with and separating from a magenta development unit and the like; a concentration sensor; a control part that causes the magenta development unit and the transfer roller to form a toner pattern on the intermediate transfer belt; and a determination unit that determines that the pressing state of the magenta development unit and the like and the intermediate transfer belt is normal when the toner pattern concentration detected by the concentration sensor after the toner pattern is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt has reached a predetermined concentration value. | 12-01-2011 |
20110293304 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus is capable of more directly solving a problem of unevenly formed line images. The image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, a light emission unit configured to emit a laser beam based on image information, and a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image developed on the photosensitive member. The image forming apparatus acquires variable speed information, which indicates a variable rotation speed of the photosensitive member. In addition, the image forming apparatus executes image position correction on the image information based on the acquired variable speed information. | 12-01-2011 |
20110318032 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a manual acquiring unit which is configured to receive a user input to acquire a correction value; an image forming unit which is configured to form an image while adjusting at least one of positional deviation and density deviation of the image based on the correction value; and a changing unit which is configured to execute at least one of a first changing process of changing a permissible range of a correction value for positional deviation according to a status of a factor causing a change in a position of an image, and a second changing process of changing a permissible range of a correction value for density deviation according to a status of a factor causing a change in a density of an image. | 12-29-2011 |
20110318033 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an image forming device for forming a toner image on the image bearing member, a recording material, a transfer device for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member to the recording material, a transfer belt for carrying the recording material, a first cleaning member, a second cleaning member, and a voltage control device. When continuously forming toner images on sheets of the recording material, a detection toner image is formed on the image bearing member between images to be formed on sheets of the recording material. The first cleaning member cleans the image bearing member. The second cleaning member cleans the transfer belt. The voltage control device controls the voltage applied to the transfer device so that the number of operations to clean the detection toner image is higher for the second cleaning member than the first cleaning member. | 12-29-2011 |
20120002990 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - Certain embodiments provide an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming part, a detection part, an arithmetic part, a storage device and an image quality maintaining control part. The image forming part forms an image quality maintaining adjustment pattern on a transfer belt to convey a sheet. The detection part detects the image quality adjustment pattern. The arithmetic part calculates, based on a detection result of the image quality maintaining adjustment pattern obtained by the detection part, image quality maintaining information for forming an image of desired image quality. The storage device stores the image quality maintaining information before the image forming apparatus transitions to a sleep mode. The image quality maintaining control part reads the image quality maintaining information from the storage device and controls the image forming part based on the read image quality maintaining information before the image forming apparatus returns after the sleep mode is released. | 01-05-2012 |
20120002991 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE QUALITY CONTROL METHOD - Certain embodiments provide an image forming apparatus including a photoconductor, a latent image forming portion, an image processing portion, a developer, a transferred body, a sensor that detects an image density of a toner image by the amount of toner attached to a surface and has a sensor characteristic in which a sensor output substantially monotonously decreases according to an increase in the amount of toner, a nonlinear amplifier that has a nonlinear amplification characteristic having one or more inflection points, and enlarges and corrects a value read by the sensor in a range where the sensor output monotonously decreases with respect to the amount of toner by amplification, and an image quality control portion that controls a forming condition of an electrostatic latent image using a correction value of a variation amount of the value at a side where the amount of toner is large in the range. | 01-05-2012 |
20120002992 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a low cost color image forming apparatus in which the density of the image having been fixed is optimally adjusted and jamming in the fixing device is prohibited. The toner adhering amount of each single color toner image to form a color toner image is controlled based on the density detection result of the yellow test toner image having been fixed and the degree of fixation is controlled base on the density detection result of the black test toner image having been fixed | 01-05-2012 |
20120014703 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - An image forming system including a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus. The first image forming apparatus forms an image on a first side of a recording medium and has a mark forming device to form a mark on the recording medium. The second image forming apparatus forms an image on a second side which is the obverse of the first side, and has a mark detector to detect the mark at a predetermined position in a conveyance path of the recording medium and a calculator to calculate an expansion and contraction ratio of the recording medium in a first direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction based on the output of the mark detector. | 01-19-2012 |
20120020686 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a PTC and a toner concentration sensor that are disposed adjacent to and downstream of a fourth image forming unit. The PTC and the toner concentration sensor are opposed to an intermediate transfer belt. A counter roller is opposed to the PTC across the intermediate transfer belt. The counter roller moves to, during the toner concentration detection, a position opposed to the toner concentration sensor across the intermediate transfer belt. Compared to the PTC and the toner concentration sensor each having a counter roller, less rollers may be provided, thereby reducing degradation of the intermediate transfer belt due to wear. | 01-26-2012 |
20120020687 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD THEREOF - Image forming apparatus includes: image forming sections for respective colors, image forming sections provided so as to face outer surface of intermediate transfer belt on outward path; transfer roller provided on returning path, transfer roller which is moved to contact position where transfer roller is pressed against intermediate transfer belt or to detachment position where transfer roller is detached from intermediate transfer belt; and density sensor detecting density of toner image on intermediate transfer belt, density sensor provided between transfer roller and endmost photoreceptor on downstream side of outward path. In image quality adjustment operation, image forming sections form toner image row on intermediate transfer belt which is row of toner images for image quality adjustment, and density sensor measures densities. Length of toner image row is smaller than length of intermediate transfer belt between endmost photoreceptor drum on downstream side and transfer roller. | 01-26-2012 |
20120039620 | Method and Arrangement For Inking Up an Applicator Element of an Electrophotographic Printer or Copier - In a method or system for generation of a toner image layer with a preset layer thickness on a surface of a photoconductor, the two-component mixture of electrically charged toner particles and carrier particles is directed on an auto-surface of a roller adjacent a surface of an applicator element to be inked. At least a portion of the toner particles is transferred onto the surface of the applicator element. An electrical field is generated that exerts at least one force on a portion of the electrically charged toner particles between the roller and the applicator element. A strength of the electrical field is varied to adjust a layer thickness of a layer of the toner particles transferred onto the surface of the applicator element and thus to adjust a thickness of the toner image layer on the photoconductor. A measurement arrangement detects a thickness of at least one region of the toner image layer inked on the surface of the photoconductor as a real value. The determined real value is compared with a desired value determined by a preset layer thickness, and a strength of the electrical field is controlled dependent on a deviation of the determined real value from the desired value. | 02-16-2012 |
20120045232 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus stops the intermediate transfer belt so that a wrinkle is formed at a predetermined position of an intermediate transfer belt and, by detecting a reference mark during a preparation operation for forming an image when starting image formation, the toner image is not transferred onto the wrinkle formed in the intermediate transfer belt when formation of a toner image is started immediately after the preparation operation has been completed. | 02-23-2012 |
20120045233 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus performs control so that a wrinkle is formed at a predetermined position of an intermediate transfer belt and, when forming a toner image having such a large size that the toner image overlaps the wrinkle formed in the intermediate transfer belt, the leading edge and the trailing edge of the toner image overlap the wrinkle. | 02-23-2012 |
20120045234 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - No registration pattern can be formed with a reference density due to environmental changes. In such a case, any registration cannot be formed until an image forming apparatus is controlled to be able to form a registration pattern with the reference density. To solve this problem, a CPU included in the image forming apparatus controls pattern forming conditions so that registration patterns of respective colors can match one another in density lower than the reference density. The CPU controls each image forming unit to form a registration pattern based on the controlled pattern forming conditions. | 02-23-2012 |
20120063796 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING STABLE IMAGE QUALITY - An image forming apparatus capable of making image quality more stable than in the prior art. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of a photosensitive member based on an image signal. A developing device develops the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member by toner to thereby form a patch image. An optical sensor detects the density of the patch image. A toner charge amount is calculated from the density detected by the optical sensor, and a change in the toner charge amount is predicted based on a plurality of results of the calculation of the toner charge amount. The image forming apparatus generates a γLUT for use in correcting the relationship between the image signal and the density based on the predicted change in the toner charge amount. | 03-15-2012 |
20120087683 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that is rotatable, a toner image forming portion that is able to form a toner image to be transferred to a transfer material and a control toner image not to be transferred to a transfer material on the image bearing member, a transfer member that transfers the toner image formed on the image bearing member to the transfer material, a detecting portion that detects a density of the control toner image, an adjustment portion that adjusts a toner image formation condition of the toner image forming portion based on an output of the detecting portion, a cleaning member that electrostatically cleans the transfer member, and a controller which changes a voltage or a current to be applied between the transfer member and the cleaning member based on the density of the control toner image. | 04-12-2012 |
20120106996 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A blade is configured to come into contact with a belt disposed at a position of a separation suspension roller to remove a patch image. A push-up unit disposed adjacent to the separation suspension roller is configured to push up a surface of the belt to separate a recording member. In this configuration, when a patch image is transferred to a transfer unit, separation of the push-up unit from the belt is carried out prior to timing in which the blade comes into contact with the belt so that the patch image can be removed. | 05-03-2012 |
20120106997 | TONER ADHESION MEASURING DEVICE, TONER ADHESION MEASURING METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A device includes a laser source configured to irradiate a toner image on a bearing member with light, a base extracting unit configured to extract a base area of a reflection waveform of light reflected from the toner image irradiated by the laser source, and a toner adhesion computing unit configured to compute the amount of toner adhesion in the toner image in accordance with a change in position of the base area of the reflection waveform. | 05-03-2012 |
20120128380 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WHICH CONTROLS SETTING OF CONTRAST POTENTIAL - This invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of bringing the output density close to a target density even if the charge amount of toner particles changes. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having an image carrier and a developing unit, a storage unit having the saturation charge amount of toner particles, and a control unit. The control unit forms a patch image using the image forming unit, measures the density of the patch image to obtain a first potential that is a contrast potential corresponding to a target density, estimates the charge amount of the toner particles in the developing unit to obtain a first charge amount, obtains a second potential from the first potential, the first charge amount and the saturation charge amount, and set the second potential as the contrast potential. | 05-24-2012 |
20120128381 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable belt, a detection unit configured to detect, at a detecting position, an object on the belt, a cartridge that is attachable to and detachable from a main body of the apparatus independently of the belt, and an openable and closable member that is openable and closable relative to the body to attach and detach the cartridge to and from the body. When the detection unit is at the detecting position, at least a part of the detection unit is located in a space used for attachment and detachment of the cartridge, and, when the detection unit is at a retracted position, which is outside of a space used for attachment and detachment of the cartridge, at least a part of the detection unit is located in a space that is formed by opening the openable and closable member relative to the body. | 05-24-2012 |
20120155898 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The present image forming apparatus forms a reference developing material image on an image carrier using an exposure unit and a developing unit before executing auto tone correction processing, and detects the density of the reference developing material image formed on the image carrier. If the detection result indicates that the toner charge amount of the developing material contained in the developing unit is within a predetermined range, auto tone correction processing is executed, whereas if the detection result of the density detecting unit indicates that the toner charge amount of the developing material contained in the developing unit is outside the predetermined range, adjustment processing for adjusting the toner charge amount of the developing material contained in the developing unit to be within the predetermined range is executed before execution of auto tone correction processing. | 06-21-2012 |
20120155899 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a charging unit that uniformly charges a surface of a latent image carrier; a latent-image forming unit; a developing unit that performs development by causing toner to electrostatically adhere on the surface of the carrier; a transfer unit that transfers a toner image onto a recording medium; and an image-density adjusting unit that causes to form a multi-gradation patch pattern on the surface of the carrier, that causes to detect potentials of latent image patches in the multi-gradation patch pattern, that causes to detect a toner adhesion amount on each toner patch, and that performs control of an image density. One of part and all of the low-density latent image patches is a dot-dispersed latent image patch in which the arrangement of unit dot latent images in the basic dot matrix is determined so that a minimum center-to-center distance having a smallest value is maximized. | 06-21-2012 |
20120163842 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus may include a conveyor member, an optical sensor, a drive portion, and a controller. The drive portion performs a rotation for detection to rotate the conveyor member for the mark detection and a rotation for nondetection to rotate the conveyor member for a purpose other than the mark detection. The controller obtains an amount of reflected light received by the optical sensor to determine an adjustment value of sensitivity of the optical sensor based on the amount of received reflected light while the rotation for nondetection is performed. The controller also detects the mark with the sensitivity adjusted based on the determined adjustment value while the rotation for detection is performed. | 06-28-2012 |
20120163843 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a mark, a conveyance member configured, to convey the mark, a sensor configured to read the mark conveyed by the conveyance member, a measurement unit configured to measure a moving time period between a time when the image forming unit forms the mark and a time when the mark conveyed by the conveyance member is read by the sensor, and a determination unit configured to determine whether a traveling speed of the conveyance member is appropriate based on the moving time period measured by the measurement unit. | 06-28-2012 |
20120163844 | Image Forming Apparatus and Control Program - An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance member; a detection unit which outputs a detection signal according to a mark for image formation condition correction; an image forming unit which forms a print image and the mark; and a change unit which changes at least one of a printing reference position and a mark reference position such that an offset amount between the printing reference position and the mark reference position becomes larger as an angle difference between a sub-scanning direction and a conveyance direction of the conveyance member is larger, wherein the printing reference position is a basis of determining a formation position of the print image in a main scanning direction and the mark reference position is a basis of determining at least one of a formation position and a size of the mark in the main scanning direction. | 06-28-2012 |
20120183315 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus which forms an image on an image carrier along with rotation of a developing sleeve that carries a toner and carrier contained in a two-component developer, comprises: forming unit configured to form a density detection toner image on the image carrier using the toner; detection unit configured to detect a density of the density detection toner image formed; prediction unit configured to predict a toner charge amount in the two-component developer; correction unit configured to correct the toner charge amount in the two-component developer using a value obtained from a relationship between the toner charge amount predicted by the prediction unit and the density of the toner image that is detected by the detection unit; and control unit configured, when forming the density detection toner image by the forming unit, to control to increase a development efficiency, compared to image formation based on image data. | 07-19-2012 |
20120189332 | Transfer Device And Image Forming Apparatus Including Same - A transfer device includes an image bearing member, a transfer member, a test image detector, and a shield member. The image bearing member bears a toner image on a surface thereof within an image forming area. The transfer member disposed opposite the image bearing member forms a transfer nip between the transfer member and the image bearing member through which the recording medium is conveyed and transfers the toner image from the image bearing member onto the recording medium in the transfer nip. The test image detector disposed downstream from the transfer nip in the direction of conveyance of the recording medium detects a density of a test image for adjustment of toner density formed outside the image forming area. The shield member disposed between the test image and the transfer member shields the test image from an electrical field generated between the image bearing member and the transfer member. | 07-26-2012 |
20120189333 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus has
| 07-26-2012 |
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 |
20120207496 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A representative configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the invention is provided. The image forming apparatus has a plurality of developing devices which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum into a toner image using developer of plural colors. The image forming apparatus includes a density sensor which detects the amount of toner of the toner image for each color. In a case where it is determined that the amount of toner of any color departs from a predetermined range based on the detection result of the density sensor, a development condition of the rest developing devices other than the developing device departing from the predetermined range is changed such that the image densities developed by the respective developing devices are equal to each other. | 08-16-2012 |
20120207497 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; a charging device for electrically charging the photosensitive member; an exposure device for exposing to light the photosensitive member electrically charged by the charging device to form an electrostatic image; a developing device for developing the electrostatic image with toner to form a first patch and a second patch; a detecting device for detecting a density of the first and second patches formed by the developing device; and a control device for controlling an image forming condition on the basis of a difference in density between the first patch formed on the photosensitive member at a portion where a surface potential of the photosensitive member is zero volts and the second patch formed at a portion electrically charged by applying a predetermined charging bias to the charging device. | 08-16-2012 |
20120213537 | CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A control device includes an acquiring unit acquiring code image data expressing a code image having dots arranged in an array that expresses information; a generating unit extracting the dots from the code image and generating patch image data expressing patch images having the dots orderly arranged in different densities; an image-formation control unit controlling an image forming unit so as to form the patch images based on the patch image data in accordance with a preset image forming condition by using an invisible toner; a measuring unit measuring densities of the patch images; and a changing unit changing the image forming condition if at least one measured density is outside a density range set according to a corresponding dot density based on a correspondence relationship between the measured densities and densities of the dots, so that all of the measured densities are set within the corresponding density ranges. | 08-23-2012 |
20120224872 | MULTI-CHANNEL SENSOR FOR MEASURING COLORANTS OF PRINTS - A sensor used for determining area coverages of each colorant in a printed image is provided. The sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements for determining area coverages of each colorant in a printed image that includes a plurality of colorants including a black colorant. One of the sensing elements is an infrared sensing element configured to measure infrared reflection, and the others of the sensing elements are each configured to detect a visible color. | 09-06-2012 |
20120230712 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit which performs image forming on a paper, an image carrier on which a toner image is formed by the image forming unit, a patch image generation unit which generates a patch image for image density detection so as to be disposed between toner images, a patch density sensor which detects a density of the patch image, a correction unit which performs correction processing to match a detected density and an aimed density by comparing the detected density of the patch image detected by the patch density sensor and the aimed density of the patch image which is set in advance, a toner deposit control unit which controls a toner deposit when the image forming unit performs image forming, and a paper interval control unit which control an interval between consecutive papers. | 09-13-2012 |
20120237232 | PRINTING APPARATUS - A printing apparatus includes an image forming section which forms a toner image of the image to be printed on a recording medium; a transport belt which transports the toner image formed by the image forming section; a light-emitting section which emits a light to the transport belt; a first light-receiving section which is disposed at a position through which a regular reflection light, of the light emitted from the light-emitting section, reflected from the transport belt passes; a second light-receiving section which is disposed at a position different from the position of the first light-receiving section; a transmissive member which is disposed at a position through which the light emitted from the light-emitting section and a reflection light, of the light, reflected from the transport belt pass and which transmits the light and the reflection light. | 09-20-2012 |
20120237233 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE DENSITY CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus including an image carrier; an intermediate transfer member having a first portion and a second portion that has a higher glossiness than that of the first portion; a primary transfer member; a light source to emit light to the intermediate transfer member side; a detector to detect intensity of reflected light emitted from the light source and then reflected from the intermediate transfer member and a density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member; a processor including a light-emission intensity adjuster to adjust light-emission intensity from the light source based on detected intensity of light reflected from the second portion of the intermediate transfer member; and an image forming condition controller to control image forming conditions for forming a toner image based on the detected intensity of the light reflected from the density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member. | 09-20-2012 |
20120243891 | Image Forming Apparatus - In an image forming apparatus, a density adjustment unit causes to form a cleaner toner image on a surface of an image carrier and remove the cleaner toner image for density adjustment, and causes to form a test pattern after removing the cleaner toner image. The cleaner toner image is formed to cover a whole area on which the test pattern may be formed. | 09-27-2012 |
20120251141 | DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF PRINTER IMAGE ARTIFACTS - A method is provided of determining the cause of artifacts in images produced by an electrophotographic (EP) printer. A reference image is printed and artifacts in it are detected. After printing normal images, a test image is printed and artifacts in it are detected. If a detected artifact in the test image does not correspond to a detected artifact in the reference image, a characteristic frequency spectrum of the artifact in the test image is determined. Run-out on rotatable imaging components is measured, and a characteristic frequency spectrum of each is determined. The test image spectrum is compared to each component spectrum to identify which component is causing the artifact. | 10-04-2012 |
20120251142 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE ADJUSTING METHOD - An image forming apparatus including: an image forming unit that forms an image; a carrier that carries and conveys the image; a detecting unit that detects a first adjustment image based on a light reception result of reflection of light projected toward the carrier; and an adjusting unit that adjusts a formation condition of an image to be formed on a sheet based on a result of the detection of the first adjustment image, wherein the image forming unit forms a second adjustment image having a first mark on the carrier, and wherein when the detecting unit detects the second adjustment image based on a light reception result of reflection of light projected toward the carrier, the adjusting unit adjusts a position of the first adjustment image to be formed on the carrier in the orthogonal direction by using a second orthogonal direction length of the first mark. | 10-04-2012 |
20120269526 | Closed loop controls for transfer control in first transfer for optimized image content - The subject embodiments disclose an electrostatic transfer control method that avoids undesired retransfer effects. A printing device develops and transfers several control patches. The patches are transferred at different electrostatic set points and a control strategy is utilized involving one or more density sensors to measure the transferred toner patches whereby the obtained density information can be used to compute the optimal value of electrostatic transfer bias. Print operators can adjust the bias value based on preferences for predetermined standards. | 10-25-2012 |
20120269527 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING WITH COMPENSATION - Electrophotographic (EP) streaking compensation is performed. A tonescale is measured for each column and a per-column gain computed to compensate for variations. An adjustment tonescale is determined and a per-column adjustment-tonescale gain computed to correct for remaining error after the per-column gain is applied. The two corrections are used together to provide improved compensation quality. | 10-25-2012 |
20120288290 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - A multiply-connecting image forming system in which a second image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording material on which an image has been formed by a first image forming apparatus, the multiply-connecting image forming system suppressing degradation in quality of an output image when only the second image forming apparatus continues duplex image formation because the first image forming apparatus has run out of toner during the duplex image formation. | 11-15-2012 |
20120294637 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - In an image forming apparatus, a processor performs: a solid density stabilization of adjusting, in accordance with detected toner adhesion amounts of solid toner images of solid tone patterns, a condition to form solid images with respective target image densities; a misregistration reduction of adjusting, in accordance with detection timing of position detection toner images of misregistration detection patterns, a condition to reduce misregistration of toner images; and a halftone density stabilization of adjusting, in accordance with detected toner adhesion amounts of area coverage modulation toner images, a condition to form halftone images with respective target image densities. The processor continuously performs the solid density stabilization and the misregistration reduction, and starts the halftone density stabilization when the solid density stabilization is completed and the misregistration reduction is not completed, to concurrently perform a step of the misregistration reduction and at least a step of the halftone density stabilization. | 11-22-2012 |
20120301163 | Image Forming Apparatus and Image Forming Method - Provided are an image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of easily forming an output image having desired gradation characteristics and capable of reducing running cost. In an intermediate transfer-type image forming apparatus, an image forming section is configured by including a first image forming section which forms a color toner image on a photoconductor, and a second image forming section which is located on the upstream side of the first image forming section and forms a transparent toner image on the photoconductor. Further, after the transparent toner image is formed on an intermediate transfer member by the second image forming section, the first image forming section forms, on the basis of image data (correction gradation values) corrected by a gradation correcting section, a color toner image so that the color toner image is superimposed on the transparent toner image. | 11-29-2012 |
20120308246 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a first image bearing member (drum); a second image bearing member (drum); a developing device for forming a toner image on the basis of an electrostatic latent image formed on the first drum; an electrostatic latent image forming portion for forming an electrostatic latent image mark on the first drum; a detecting portion for detecting a position of the electrostatic latent image mark; and an adjusting portion for adjusting, on the basis of a detection result of the position of the electrostatic latent image mark, superposition between the toner image formed on the first drum and the toner image formed on the second drum. An electrostatic latent image which is undetectable by the detecting means is formed between a formation region of the toner image on the first drum and a formation region of the electrostatic latent image mark on the first drum. | 12-06-2012 |
20120315054 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - An image processing apparatus capable of forming an image using a plurality of devices which make periodic movements by an electrophotographic method includes a control unit configured to control image formation using the devices, a gradation characteristic storage unit configured to store therein a gradation characteristic of each of the devices, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a phase in each of the devices corresponding to a position of a target pixel, a calculation unit configured to calculate an amount of density variation caused by each of the devices corresponding to the phase and an input value expressing the target pixel, and a correction unit configured to correct an input value expressing the image based on the density variation amount corresponding to each of the devices, wherein the calculation unit calculates the density variation amount based on the gradation characteristic. | 12-13-2012 |
20120315055 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an apparatus which forms an adjustment toner image outside an image area in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of an image bearing member, a toner change amount of the adjustment toner image which is directly transferred onto and adheres to a transfer roller without interposing a recording medium differs depending on a transfer electric field. Since the transfer electric field is in a direction for reversing a charging polarity of the toner, when the transfer electric field is large, the toner charge amount of the adjustment toner image is reduced. Therefore, in case that the transfer electric field is large, the cleaning electric field is set small. Thereby the toner of the adjustment toner image can be sufficiently cleaned off by an electrostatic cleaning member irrespective of the transfer voltage, and contamination on a back side of a recording material can be avoided. | 12-13-2012 |
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 |
20120321331 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THICKNESS AND AREA RATIO OF TONER LAYER - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having an exposure unit and a developing unit; a detection unit configured to detect a thickness and an area ratio of a toner layer of a pattern image formed by the image forming unit; a storage unit configured to store data indicating permissible ranges for the thickness and the area ratio of the toner layer; and a correction unit configured to change, when the thickness or the area ratio of the toner layer detected by the detection unit falls outside the corresponding permissible range indicated by the data stored in the storage unit, a spot diameter of the laser beam so that the thickness and the area ratio of the toner layer respectively fall within the permissible ranges. | 12-20-2012 |
20120328312 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH SPECTRAL DATA DETECTION UNIT - An apparatus includes a unit configured to judge a border between two patch images among a plurality of patch images formed on the recording material, based on change in the amount of the light beam of at least one noticed wavelength detected by a detection unit; a unit configured to calculate a color value of a patch image from the amount of the light beam of each wavelength detected by the detection unit; and a control unit configured to control an accumulation period of charge for the photoelectric conversion at the detection unit. The control unit is further configured to make the accumulation period of the detection unit shorter when judging the border between the two patch images than when calculating the color value of each of the two patch images. | 12-27-2012 |
20130004189 | OPTICAL SENSOR UNIT AND IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS - An optical sensor unit includes: a light-emitting device; a light-receiving device that receives light which is emitted from the light-emitting device and reflected from an object to be detected, and outputs an output value in accordance with the light; a shutter member that openably and closably covers an incident/exit plane having an exit part where light of the light-emitting device is emitted to the object to be detected and an incident part where light reflected from the object to be detected enters, and has a facing surface facing the incident/exit plane that is an inclined surface inclined to the incident/exit plane; and a corrector that corrects an output value of the light-receiving device when receiving light reflected from the object to be detected, based on an output value of the light-receiving device obtained by emitting light to the inclined surface of the shutter member. | 01-03-2013 |
20130011153 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus comprises: an extraction unit that analyzes an input print job and extracts a color used in a plurality of pages of the print job; a forming unit configured to form a patch image of the color extracted by the extraction unit; a determining unit configured to measure the patch image formed by the forming unit and to determine an amount of color fluctuation from a reference value for the extracted color; and a correction unit configured, when printing the input print job, to correct the extracted color by using the amount of color fluctuation determined by the determining unit. | 01-10-2013 |
20130022363 | PHOTOSENSOR AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE INCORPORATING THE SAME - A photosensor includes a light emitting element to emit light to a target object, a light receiving element to receive the light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected by the target object, and a circuit board on which the light emitting element and the light receiving element are mounted, including at least one protrusion thereon. The light emitting element and the light receiving element each have a terminal. The at least one protrusion is configured to support one of the light emitting element and the light receiving element in a contact manner in a state that the terminal is electrically connected to the circuit board. | 01-24-2013 |
20130022364 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, METHOD THEREOF, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - An image forming apparatus includes image carriers; an exposing unit that forms latent images on the image carriers; a developing unit that develops the latent images with toners of different colors from each other; a first transfer unit that forms a color image by superimposing and transferring the developed images onto a second image carrier; a test pattern forming unit that forms, on the image carriers, test patterns to be transferred onto the second image carrier; and test pattern detection units capable of detecting the test patterns transferred onto the second image carrier in different positions from each other in a main-scanning direction. The test pattern forming unit selectively switches, depending on a width of the test patterns in the main-scanning direction, whether to form each of the test patterns in a position detectable by the corresponding one of the test pattern detection units. | 01-24-2013 |
20130034359 | ADJUSTMENT OF IMAGE DENSITY IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus configures a normal transfer potential in a yellow primary transfer unit, and configures a transfer potential which does not cause any retransfer phenomenon of a yellow measurement image in image carriers located on the downstream side of the yellow primary transfer unit. When a color difference obtained from a reference density and a density of a measurement image on an intermediate transfer belt becomes equal to or larger than a prescribed value, the image forming apparatus determines that multinary-color density adjustment is required. | 02-07-2013 |
20130039673 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM, AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a transfer unit, a fixing unit, a transport unit, a transfer-performance-detection toner image forming unit, a density detection unit, and a selector. A toner image is held on the image holding member. The transfer unit transfers the toner image onto a recording medium. The fixing unit fixes the toner image onto the recording medium. The transport unit reverses the recording medium onto which the toner image has been fixed, and transports the reversed recording medium back to the transfer unit. The transfer-performance-detection toner image forming unit forms plural transfer-performance-detection toner images with different transfer settings of the transfer unit. The density detection unit detects densities of plural transfer-performance-detection toner images. The selector selects a transfer setting of the transfer unit in accordance with a detection result obtained by the density detection unit. | 02-14-2013 |
20130058669 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, includes: an image forming portion; a supplying device for supplying a toner; a transfer device capable of transferring the toner image from the image forming portion onto a toner image receiving member; a first detecting portion for detecting a transfer current of the transfer device; a second detecting portion for detecting information on a toner amount of the transferred toner image; and a controller for controlling, during non-image formation, a supplying operation of the supplying device on the basis of a detection result of the first detecting portion when a toner image for measurement formed at the image forming portion is transferred by the transfer device at a transfer voltage lower than a discharge start voltage and on the basis of a detection result when the toner image for measurement transferred on the toner image receiving member is detected by the second detection portion. | 03-07-2013 |
20130064561 | APPARATUS FOR FORMING IMAGE ACCORDING TO IMAGE FORMATION CONDITION - An image forming apparatus adjusts a gamma-LUT of a gamma correction circuit in accordance with density data on a measurement image formed on a photosensitive drum. A CPU selects a conversion table in association with the image formation condition such as laser power of a semiconductor laser, fixing temperature of a fixing device, or a charge in a developer. A luminance/density converting portion converts luminance data on the measurement image into density data using the conversion table selected by the CPU. The CPU adjusts a contrast potential and a gamma-LUT using this density data. | 03-14-2013 |
20130084089 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF SETTING EXPOSURE AMOUNT - An image forming apparatus and a method of setting an exposure amount are provided. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an exposure device which expose the photosensitive member to form a latent image on the photosensitive member, a conveyance member which conveys a recording medium, an image forming unit which forms a plurality of density detection images corresponding to the image data and having different pixel densities on the conveyance member, a density detection unit which detects densities of the density detection images, and an exposure setting unit which compares respective detected image densities of the density detection images with reference densities corresponding to the respective density detection images, and sets an exposure amount according to a condition based on a combination of respective comparison results between the detected image densities and the reference densities. | 04-04-2013 |
20130084090 | WET-TYPE IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF SETTING TRANSFER BIAS IN WET-TYPE IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a wet-type image forming apparatus, a plurality of patch images are successively transferred to a recording medium corresponding to a plurality of transfer biases obtained as bias value of the transfer bias is changed; density detecting unit measures image density of each of the plurality of patch images on the recording medium and detects a range of bias values of transfer bias in which the image density of patch image is substantially saturated; and the bias value of transfer bias when a normal image is formed on the recording medium is set to be within the range of bias values of transfer bias in which the image density of patch image is substantially saturated and to be not larger than absolute value of the bias value at which the image density of patch image is substantially saturated. | 04-04-2013 |
20130089345 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes a correcting device for performing correction according to a variation of a light emission position of light emitter from a reference light emission position, wherein a measuring device measures a time interval from formation of a latent image on a photosensitive member by the light emitter to detection of arrival at a detecting position by a detector, wherein the correcting device performs the correction based on the time interval measured by the measuring device, and wherein the latent image formed, by the light emitter, on the photosensitive member at the reference light emission position reaches the detecting position when a rotation member rotates an integer number of times. | 04-11-2013 |
20130101304 | WET-TYPE IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A wet-type image forming apparatus includes a density detection unit and a charge amount control unit for controlling the charge amount of toner on a liquid developer carrier. An image forming unit forms patch images while the charge amount control unit successively changes the charge amount of toner on the liquid developer carrier in a state in which a development bias is held at a prescribed value. The density detection unit detects the image density of each patch image thereby detecting a range of the charge amount of toner in which the image density of the patch image is almost saturated. The charge amount of toner in normal image formation is set to be equal to or greater than the range of the charge amount of toner in which the image density of the patch image is almost saturated. | 04-25-2013 |
20130108292 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF OPTIMALLY PERFORMING DENSITY FLUCTUATION CORRECTION | 05-02-2013 |
20130108293 | Image Forming Apparatus | 05-02-2013 |
20130108294 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 05-02-2013 |
20130114965 | TONE REPRODUCTION CURVE ERROR REDUCTION - Control para met of a printing device are optimized using a process model to reduce a process tone reproduction curve (TRC) error between a process TRC and a desired TRC. Tone-corrected halftone levels for the printing device are generated using a sensor model to reduce a printing device TRC error between a TRC of the printing device and the desired TRC, based on color patches printed by the printing device using the control parameters as have been optimized, as measured by one or more sensors of the printing device. | 05-09-2013 |
20130136471 | PRINTER MAINTENANCE - This disclosure relates to instructing deposition of a service patch for different toners, and determining the respective different toner amounts as a function of toner coverages on at least one previous media unit. | 05-30-2013 |
20130136472 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMATION CORRECTING METHOD - 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. | 05-30-2013 |
20130136473 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an intermediary transfer member for carrying an image; a transferring device for transferring the image from the intermediary transfer member onto a sheet; a device for forming a toner patch for a density adjustment between adjacent sheets, in an area corresponding to between adjacent ones of sheets on the intermediary transfer member; a detector for detecting density of the patch; and a sheet interval density adjusting device for adjusting in real time a density/tone-gradation property of the image on the basis of a detection result of the density detector. The patch includes a density detection area, and an outer marginal portion having a density lower than that of the density detection area. The patch forming device changes at least one of a patch image density of the density detection area, a size of the marginal portion and a density of the marginal portion. | 05-30-2013 |
20130136474 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a measurement image on a recording paper, a fixing unit configured to fix the measurement image onto the recording paper by heating, a measurement unit configured to measure the measurement image fixed on the recording paper downstream of the fixing unit in a conveyance direction of the recording paper, and a correction unit configured to correct a measurement value output from the measurement unit such that an effect of temperature of the recording paper is decreased when the measurement unit measures the measurement image. The correction unit is configured not to correct the measurement value in a case where density of the measurement image is measured by the measurement unit, and the correction unit is configured to correct the measurement value in a case where chromaticity of the measurement image is measured by the measurement unit. | 05-30-2013 |
20130156450 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - If the length of an adjustment toner image is longer than a circumferential length of a photosensitive member, a voltage which is less than a discharge start voltage is applied while a region of the photosensitive member irradiated with light by an optical sensor passes through a transfer portion. Further, a voltage which is greater than or equal to the discharge start voltage is applied while the photosensitive member rotates at least once after the region of the photosensitive member irradiated with light by the optical sensor passes through the transfer unit. As a result, density unevenness in the adjustment toner image and a potential change in the photosensitive member due to the optical sensor exposing the adjustment toner image are prevented. | 06-20-2013 |
20130156451 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING IMAGE FORMING CONDITIONS - An image forming apparatus in which an optical sensor for detecting an adjustment toner image of black color is disposed on an image bearing member and an optical sensor for detecting adjustment toner images of other colors is disposed on an intermediate transfer member. With this configuration, even if the adjustment toner images of black and other colors simultaneously pass through a transfer portion for black color to reduce downtime, it is possible to reduce an effect on the subsequent image caused by light irradiation from the optical sensor and, at the same time, to prevent adjustment toner images of other colors from being excessively retransferred to the image bearing member (for black color) due to discharge. Control is performed such that a voltage less than a discharge start voltage is applied. | 06-20-2013 |
20130156452 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member, a first image forming unit, a second image forming unit, a detection member, an execution unit and an adjustment unit. A toner image for adjustment formed on an upstream photoreceptor is made to pass a photoreceptor while facing an area exposed by a downstream image forming unit and is detected by a detection unit. | 06-20-2013 |
20130164006 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR DETECTING PATCH IMAGE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF REGIONS - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing units configured to develop latent images formed on a plurality of photosensitive members by a exposure units; an image carrier, on which the developed images formed on the plurality of photosensitive members are transferred; a sensor configured to irradiate the image carrier with light, and detect an amount of reflected light; a patch detection unit configured to detect a position of a patch image, formed on the image carrier, based on the amount of reflected light detected by the sensor, wherein the patch image has a first region and a second region formed on the same photosensitive member, the second region is formed to be adjacent to the first region, and a density of the second region is lower than that of the first region. | 06-27-2013 |
20130164007 | REFLECTIVE OPTICAL SENSOR AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE INCORPORATING THE SAME - A reflective optical sensor includes a light emitting element to irradiate a target object with a light beam, a light receiving element to receive the light beam reflected by the surface of the target object, a circuit board on which the light emitting element and light receiving element are mounted, a cover element supported on the circuit board to surround the light emitting element and light receiving element, and a light shielding wall provided in the cover element to be a partition between the light emitting element and light receiving element to prevent a part of the light beam from the light emitting element from leaking to the light receiving element. A layer in a certain thickness is formed on the surface of the circuit board along either or both sides of the light shielding wall. | 06-27-2013 |
20130183051 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to form pattern images in areas corresponding to positions at which toners including a specific color toner of a specific color are provided; a reading unit configured to read the formed pattern images; a color information detection unit configured to analyze color information of the read pattern images and detect the color information of the specific color toner; a position determination unit configured to determine the position at which the specific color toner is provided from a position at which the pattern image of the specific color is formed in the read pattern images; and a recording unit configured to record the detected color information of the specific color toner and the position at which the specific color toner is provided. | 07-18-2013 |
20130209116 | CONTROLLER, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM, AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - A controller includes a pattern forming unit that forms patterns multiple times on a first image holding member which is driven such that a surface thereof is circulated, a first detection unit that optically detects the patterns formed on the first image holding member by the pattern forming unit, a second detection unit that optically detects the patterns transferred from the first image holding member to a recording medium which is transported in a set transport direction, and an adjustment unit that adjusts a length in the transport direction of an image transferred to the recording medium on the basis of a time interval when the patterns are detected by the first detection unit and a time interval when the patterns are detected by the second detection unit. | 08-15-2013 |
20130216248 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMPENSATION OF BANDING FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES IN MARKING PLATFORM - A method for compensation of banding in a marking platform includes: initiating a calibration stage; marking a test pattern over multiple intervals of a lowest fundamental frequency among marking modules; obtaining image data for the test pattern from a sensor; obtaining 1× signals from sensors associated with the marking modules; and processing the image data in relation to the 1× signals to form banding profiles for multiple marking modules. Alternatively, the method may include: processing image data in relation to 1× signals to form banding profiles for multiple marking modules; determining amplitudes in multiple banding profiles exceeds a threshold to identify dominant banding profiles; and processing dominant banding profiles to form dominant banding signatures. Alternatively, the method may include: initiating a correction stage; obtaining 1× signals from sensors associated with dominant marking modules; and periodically processing dominant banding signatures and 1× signals to determine a banding compensation value. | 08-22-2013 |
20130236200 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to control a toner-image forming device to form a toner patch; and a detector configured to detect the toner patch on the image carrier. During a non-printing period, the controller causes a toner-image forming device to form toner patches, causes the detector to detect densities of the toner patches, and adjusts an image-forming condition of the toner-image forming device based on detected densities. During a printing period, the controller causes the toner-image forming device to form an output image in an image area and form fewer toner patches in a non-image area, causes the detector to detect densities of the fewer toner patches, and adjusts the image-forming condition of the toner-image forming device based on detected densities. The fewer toner patches are selected from and fewer than the plurality of toner patches formed during the non-printing period. | 09-12-2013 |
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 |
20130243458 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - According to an embodiment, provided is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a moving body using toner. The image forming apparatus includes a pattern creating device that creates a first pattern for toner density detection and a second pattern for positional deviation detection on the moving body, the first pattern and second pattern being disposed to be arrayed in a main-scanning direction; a reflecting optical sensor including an emitting system that includes at least three light-emitting elements of which positions at least in the second direction are different and a light-receiving system that includes at least three light-receiving elements that receive light beams that are emitted from the emitting system and reflected from the first pattern and second pattern; and a processing device that obtains toner density information and positional deviation information simultaneously based on an output signal of the light-receiving system. | 09-19-2013 |
20130243459 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is disclosed, including a light source; a drum; an optical scanning apparatus; and an endless belt. The image forming apparatus further includes a pattern forming unit which forms, on the endless belt along a conveying direction of the endless belt, a density fluctuation detecting pattern having a period; a density sensor which detects the density fluctuating detecting pattern and outputs a density signal including information on density fluctuations in the conveying direction of the endless belt; and a period detecting sensor which detects the period included in the density fluctuations. | 09-19-2013 |
20130251388 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus includes a preliminary toner image forming unit, a detecting unit, an adjusting unit, an obtaining unit, an activation grasping unit, a determining unit, and a preparation unit. The preliminary toner image forming unit causes an inactive image forming unit to form a preliminary toner image and causes the preliminary toner image to be transferred onto a transfer body. The detecting unit detects the preliminary toner image. The adjusting unit adjusts quality of a toner image. The obtaining unit obtains information regarding an image to be output. The activation grasping unit grasps an estimated activation timing. The determining unit determines whether a time period until the estimated activation timing has become equal to an image quality adjustment period. The preparation unit causes the preliminary toner image forming unit to transfer the preliminary toner image and causes the adjusting unit to adjust the quality of the toner image. | 09-26-2013 |
20130251389 | TONER-DENSITY CALCULATING METHOD, REFLECTIVE OPTICAL SENSOR, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a reflective optical sensor in an image forming apparatus, an output from each N number of light-receiving elements (N≧3), obtained when M number of light-emitting elements (M≧3) included in a light-emitting unit emit detecting light, is separated into an amount of specularly reflected light and an amount of diffusely reflected light. The toner density of a pattern, which is formed on a supporting member in the image forming apparatus, is calculated based on a sum of the amounts of specularly reflected light and a sum of the amounts of diffusely reflected light. | 09-26-2013 |
20130259499 | METHOD FOR SENSING UNFUSED TONER - Methods for determining an amount of toner in a target area are provided. In one method, the target area is illuminated with a first light from a first illumination position that is on a first side of a plane that is normal to the target area so that any toner particles in the target area direct a reflected portion of the first light to the first side and a light is sensed at a surface at a sensing position on the first side of the plane to which toner particles at the target area direct the reflected portion of the first light and a sensed light signal is generated that is indicative of the sensed light. | 10-03-2013 |
20130259500 | PRINTER WITH UNFUSED TONER PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM - Toner printers are provided. In one printer a toner image is printed according to first printing instructions. An amount of toner in a target area of the toner image is determined and second printing instructions are generated causing the toner printer to print at least one subsequent toner image based upon the determined amount of first toner. | 10-03-2013 |
20130259501 | PRINTER WITH UNFUSED TONER PROCESS CONTROL - Methods for operating a toner printer are provided. In one method a toner image is printed according to first printing instructions. An amount of toner in a target area of the toner image is determined and second printing instructions are generated causing the toner printer to print at least one subsequent toner image based upon the determined amount of first toner. | 10-03-2013 |
20130266331 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF CONTROLLING DENSITY OF IMAGE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus which reduces downtime by starting image density detection without waiting for identification of the same position on a rotary member. A detection unit detects a surface condition of a rotary member on which a toner image on a photosensitive drum is transferred. An identifying unit matches first data detected by the detection unit on a reference point on the surface of the rotary member and second data detected by the detection unit after obtainment of the first data to identify the reference point. A control unit controls image density based on a detection result obtained by the detection unit on a base of the rotary member corresponding to a range where a measurement image is formed and an obtained detection result on the measurement image by referring to the reference point identified as a reference. | 10-10-2013 |
20130287417 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - When a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive drum is transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt, a transfer bias is applied to a primary transfer portion. When a patch formed in an upstream image forming station and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt and a patch formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum pass through the primary transfer portion, a passing bias different from the transfer bias is applied to the primary transfer portion. A control section controls a laser beam scanner as exposure member not to expose the surface of the photosensitive drum to which the passing bias is applied. | 10-31-2013 |
20130294786 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LATERAL COLOR REGISTRATION PERFORMANCE AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE DETECTION - A computer-based apparatus for preventive maintenance detection for a color printer including a photoreceptor belt (PB) arranged to displace in a process direction, including a memory element for storing a threshold value, computer readable instructions, and registration data for a plurality of markings on a surface of the PB, including for each marking, a respective registration difference, in a lateral direction orthogonal to the process direction, between a respective actual location and a respective original location. The apparatus includes a processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions to: determine that at least one marking from the plurality of markings is out of compliance with the at least one threshold value; and in response to determining that at least one marking from the plurality of markings is out of compliance with the at least one threshold value, transmit a signal, indicating that maintenance is required for the PB, for display. | 11-07-2013 |
20130302048 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING REGISTRATION AND DENSITY CORRECTION CONTROL - An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form, on an image carrier, a first correction pattern including developer images of a plurality of colors, and a second correction pattern including developer images of the plurality of colors; a registration correction unit configured to perform registration correction control based on a detection result of the developer images of the first correction pattern; and a density correction unit configured to perform density correction control based on a detection result of the second correction pattern. The density correction unit is further configured to decide a detection result of the developer image of at least one color of the second correction pattern used for the density correction control based on a detection result of the developer image of the first correction pattern. | 11-14-2013 |
20130302049 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR STORING SAMPLING VALUES AND METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes: image forming unit configured to form a density detection pattern and a reference pattern on an image carrier by a developer; a light-receiving unit configured to receive reflection light of light emitted toward the image carrier, and output a signal corresponding to an amount of received light; a sampling unit configured to sample the signal output from the light-receiving unit, and store sampling values in the storage unit; a detection unit configured to detect the reference pattern; and a determination unit configured to determine a sampling value corresponding to reflection light from the density detection pattern of the color among the sampling values stored in the storage unit, based on a detection time of the reference pattern. | 11-14-2013 |
20130302050 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR DETECTING MISREGISTRATION AMOUNT AND DENSITY - An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to detect a misregistration amount and densities of the toner images by detecting first and second detection patterns. The first detection pattern includes black and color portions, and the control unit is further configured to set a light-emitting amount of a detection unit, a threshold, or a sensitivity of a detection unit so that a received light amount of diffuse reflection light from the black portion is less than the threshold and a received light amount of diffuse reflection light from the color portion exceeds the threshold, and to set the light-emitting amount or the sensitivity so that the received light amount of the diffuse reflection light from the color portion is less than an upper limit of the detection unit. | 11-14-2013 |
20130302051 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING REGISTRATION AND DENSITY CORRECTION CONTROL - An image forming apparatus includes: a forming unit configured to continuously form, on an image carrier, a first and second detection patterns for detecting relative registration amounts and a density of each of a plurality of colors; and a control unit configured to control registration and the density. The forming unit forms the detection patterns such that a leading edge developer color of a detection pattern formed on a front side among the two detection patterns, in a direction in which the detection patterns are moved by rotation of the image carrier, is the same as a trailing edge developer color of the detection pattern formed on the front side, or a leading or trailing edge developer color of a detection pattern formed on a rear side among the two detection patterns. | 11-14-2013 |
20130302052 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DENSITY CHANGE SUPPRESSING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: a density detection unit that detects densities of an image developed by a developing unit at a plurality of positions in a main-scanning direction; a processing unit that obtains at least one of an amplitude and a phase of a first periodical density change of the image, of which cycle is a rotation cycle of a photosensitive drum, at the plurality of positions in the main-scanning direction on the basis of an output signal of the density detection unit, and corrects a drive signal for the light source so as to suppress the first periodical density change of the image at each position in the main-scanning direction on the basis of the rotation cycle of the photosensitive drum and at least one of the amplitude and the phase. | 11-14-2013 |
20130322901 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner image for measurement of an area coverage modulation of 90% or more is formed on a photosensitive drum in a non-image formation, and a setting condition for defining a developability of a toner image in an image formation is set so that a detection result of an optical sensor detecting the toner image for measurement becomes a preset target value. The target value is set to be lower as a value of the setting condition increases from a lower side to a higher side of the developability. The target value is set so that a color difference ΔE of an image having half the maximum image density obtained after the setting condition is set with respect to an image having half the maximum image density obtained after the setting condition is set in a setting mode with use of unused developer is 6.5 or less. | 12-05-2013 |
20130330095 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND COLOR TONE DENSITY CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF - A method of controlling a color-tone density (CTD) of an image forming apparatus including a plurality of developers configured to circularly perform a developing operation. The method includes developing test patches on an OPC sequentially from a developer to be developable preferentially, measuring CTDs of the developed test patches, and controlling a development variable using the measure CTDs. | 12-12-2013 |
20130343774 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND PRINT SYSTEM - Disclosed is an image processing device including: a sample output unit to instruct a print device to successively print test images on a plurality of sheets of the recording paper; a profile preparing unit to prepare a plurality of profiles of the density unevenness in the sub-scanning direction in the plurality of sheets of the recording paper, from measuring data obtained by optically reading the test images; an analyzing unit to analyze the profiles by arranging the profiles in a printing order apart from each other so as to correspond to intervals of the sheets of the recording paper, and to detect a long period density unevenness in the sub-scanning direction, which has a long period extending through the plurality of sheets of the recording paper; and a correction data preparing unit to prepare correction data for removing the long period density unevenness. | 12-26-2013 |
20130343775 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus comprises: an image forming unit configured to form an image quality adjustment pattern image on an image carrier to be driven at a predetermined speed; a detector configured to detect the image quality adjustment pattern image; an image quality adjustment controller configured to control image quality adjustment processing in accordance with a detection result by the detector; a speed change unit configured to change an image formation speed indicating a speed at which an image is formed, and an interval change unit configured to change an interval at which the detector acquires a detection result in accordance with a change amount between the image formation speed before changed by the speed change unit and the image formation speed after changed. | 12-26-2013 |
20140010560 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FORMING TONER IMAGE ON IMAGE CARRIER - An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on an image carrier, including: a patch former that forms a solid and a non-solid patch on the image carrier under different image formation conditions; a measurer that measures amounts of toner adhering to the solid and the non-solid patch; a determiner that determines image density properties indicating a relationship between an image formation condition and an amount of adhering toner, based on both (i) a relationship between an image formation condition applied to the solid patch and the amount of toner adhering to the solid patch, and (ii) a relationship between an image formation condition applied to the non-solid patch and the amount of toner adhering to the non-solid patch; and a setter that sets an appropriate image formation condition for forming a toner image having a desired density on the image carrier according to the image density properties. | 01-09-2014 |
20140029965 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a developer image forming part, an intermediate transfer body, a primary transfer part, a drive mechanism to drive the intermediate transfer body, a medium carrying mechanism, and a drive controller to control an operation of the medium carrying mechanism. The developer image forming part forms a mark developer image. The developer image detection part detects the mark developer image moving on a carrying path that is from a primary transfer position to a secondary transfer position, and the drive controller controls carrying of a medium based on a detection result of the mark developer image by the developer detection part. | 01-30-2014 |
20140037312 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member, a first detection unit configured to detect a height of the toner image formed according to a predetermined image forming condition by the image forming unit, a determination unit configured to determine an image forming condition of the image forming unit according to a detection result of the first detection unit, a second detection unit configured to detect a density of the toner image formed according to a predetermined image forming condition by the image forming unit, and a correction unit configured to correct the image forming condition of the image forming unit determined by the determination unit based on the density of the toner image detected by the second detection unit. | 02-06-2014 |
20140050496 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR FORMING A MEASUREMENT IMAGE - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a measurement image on a sheet, a measurement unit configured to radiate light on the measurement image via a transparent window, and measure the light reflected from the measurement image, a white reference plate of which a white level is measured by the measurement unit, a black member of which a black level is measured by the measurement unit, and a determination unit configured to determine, based on a change in a measurement result of the white reference plate and a change in a measurement result of the black member measured by the measurement unit, whether the white reference plate, the black member, or the window is soiled. | 02-20-2014 |
20140056605 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a subjected-to-development member; a first developer-transporting unit; a regulator that regulates the thickness of a developer; a second developer-transporting unit; a density detecting unit that detects center density and edge density of a developed image formed on the subjected-to-development member by the first developer-transporting unit and the second developer-transporting unit; a reference-image forming controller that forms a reference developed image on the subjected-to-development member by forming an electrostatic latent image having a uniform image density at a center position and an edge position; and a speed controller that increases rotation speed of the second developer-transporting unit as compared to the case of forming the reference developed image if the center density of the reference developed image detected by the density detecting unit is lower than the edge density. | 02-27-2014 |
20140064757 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A representative configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the invention includes a photoreceptor drum, a primary charger, an exposure device, a development device, a detection unit that detects a density of the toner image, and forming a patch image with a plurality of different density levels, and being capable of performing a mode of correcting a tone density based on a density of the patch image, a controller that determines whether to perform the mode based on a first patch and a second patch, the first patch which is formed by charging, exposuring and performing development, the second patch which is formed by charging and performing development without substantially performing the exposure. | 03-06-2014 |
20140072315 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that forms toner images based on image data on first image carriers; a second image carrier, on which the toner images formed on the first image carriers are transferred; a second image forming unit that transfers the toner images transferred on the second image carrier onto a transfer medium; a test pattern generating unit that generates a test pattern group with a predetermine length in a moving direction of the second image carrier; and an adjusting unit that determines a method to adjust an image formation condition for the first image forming unit using the test pattern group, based on a relationship between the predetermined length and a length of an image area, in which a print image based on the image data is formed, in a sub-scanning direction corresponding to the moving direction of the second image carrier. | 03-13-2014 |
20140072316 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE CORRECTING METHOD, COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM, IMAGE CORRECTION UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - An image forming apparatus includes: at least one first image carrier configured to carry an electrostatic latent image thereon; an image writing unit; a second image carrier configured to move along a transfer position facing to the at least one first image carrier; a first transfer unit provided opposite to the at least one first image carrier; a second transfer unit configured to transfer the subject image to a transfer material; a test pattern detection unit configured to detect the test pattern image; a control unit configured to correct an image forming condition of the subject image based on a result from the detection of the test pattern image, wherein the test pattern image is provided on the second transfer unit at an area being out of the image forming area and being at the same range as the subject image in a scanning direction. | 03-13-2014 |
20140072317 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms a pattern image for image quality adjustment on an image carrier; a detection unit that detects the pattern image for the image quality adjustment; an image quality adjustment control unit that controls an image quality adjustment process in accordance with a result of detection of the detection unit; a reception unit that receives a color mode selected from among a plurality of kinds of color modes; and a calculation unit that calculates a total pattern length so that a total length of the pattern image for the image quality adjustment in a sub-scanning direction is equal in any of the color modes, wherein the image forming unit forms the pattern image for the image quality adjustment so that the total length of the pattern image for the image quality adjustment is equal to the calculated total pattern length. | 03-13-2014 |
20140093261 | DETECTION DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A detection device includes an irradiation unit that irradiates a medium with first irradiation light, a first optical system that has a first incident surface and changes the first irradiation light into second irradiation light, a second optical system that has a second incident surface and changes the first irradiation light into third irradiation light, and a light receiving unit that is provided in a traveling direction of reflection light of the second irradiation light and the third irradiation light, which are specularly reflected by the medium, and receives the reflection light of the second irradiation light and the third irradiation light, which are specularly reflected by the medium, so as to detect a positional deviation amount of an image formed on the medium and detect a density deviation amount of the image formed on the medium. | 04-03-2014 |
20140093262 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a measurement unit configured to emit light to a measurement target, and measure reflected light from the measurement target; a white reference plate disposed at a position opposed to the measurement unit; an image forming unit configured to form a measurement image on a sheet; and a calculation unit configured to, based on a measurement value of the white reference plate and a measurement value of the measurement image by the measurement unit, calculate a spectral reflectivity of reflected light from the measurement image. The calculation unit is configured to, after correcting a variation due to color change of the white reference plate with respect to the measurement value of the white reference plate, calculate the spectral reflectivity. | 04-03-2014 |
20140112675 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: a detection unit detecting information about an image-adjusting pattern image fixed to a paper; a determination unit which, on the basis of an image-noise detecting pattern image that is formed on the paper prior to forming the image-adjusting pattern image, determines the presence or absence of an image noise generated in the image-adjusting pattern image; and a control unit. On the basis of the determination result of the determination unit, the control unit sets a detection region where the detection unit detects information about the image-adjusting pattern image, to a region where the image noise is not generated, and determines the image forming condition by using the information detected in the detection region. | 04-24-2014 |
20140112676 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - When a cleaning operation is performed, a controller of an image forming apparatus controls to emit a light beam from a light emitting window so as to form a stripe image in a predetermined position of an intermediate transfer member so as to form a image defect part in the stripe image, which occurs when a cleaning member moving in a reciprocating manner in a main scanning direction along the light emitting window blocks the light beam. In addition, the controller detects the image defect part by a density detecting member. When a predetermined number of image defect parts are not formed in the predetermined position in the period from start to end of the cleaning operation, the controller determines that the cleaning member is within the scanning range of the light beam. | 04-24-2014 |
20140119755 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING CONTROL OF IMAGE FORMING CONDITION AND DENSITY DETECTION APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE DENSITY OF TEST PATTERN - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, which forms a test pattern for density control on the image carrier; and first and second light receiving elements, which receive reflected light irradiated by a light emitting element. A spot diameter of a reflected light received by the first light receiving element is smaller than a spot diameter of a reflected light received by the second light receiving element, and a number of sampling of the test pattern in line with a movement direction of a surface of the image carrier by the first light receiving element is greater than that of the test pattern in line with the moving direction by the second light receiving element. | 05-01-2014 |
20140119756 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM, AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a density-corrected image forming unit, a measurement unit, an image correction unit, and a fixing unit. The image forming unit forms an image represented by image data as a toner image. The density-corrected image forming unit forms a density corrected image. The measurement unit measures the density of the density corrected image. The image correction unit performs image correction such that a non-halftone image is formed as a halftone image whose halftone percentage is less than 100%. The fixing unit, in a case where the image correction unit performs image correction for image data, fixes a toner image on a recording medium with at least one of an increased fixing temperature, an increased fixing time period, and an increased fixing pressure, the toner image being based on the image data for which image correction has been performed. | 05-01-2014 |
20140133875 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has a detector that includes a toner density sensor arranged on the downstream side of a fixing section. When performing a control to determine an image forming condition of an image forming section based on the detection result of an image-adjusting pattern image obtained by the detector, the temperatures of a plurality of points in the axial direction of the fixing section are detected by a fixing temperature detector. Further, based on the temperature detection values obtained by the fixing temperature detector, a controller sets a detection area of the detector in a place where the fixing temperature is equal to a desired temperature, so that the detector detects the information about the image-adjusting pattern image at such place. | 05-15-2014 |
20140147138 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - An image forming device includes: a secondary transfer roller configured to secondarily transfer a toner image transferred to an intermediate transfer belt, to a transfer paper; separating plates; and a power supply circuit configured to apply bias voltages to the separating plates. The separating plates are configured to separate the transfer paper from the intermediate transfer belt when the bias voltages are applied to the separating plates. The separating plates include two or more separating plates installed along a direction perpendicular to the transfer paper conveying direction. The bias voltages are applied to the separating plates independently of each other depending on a toner amount distribution of the toner image transferred to the transfer paper, in the direction perpendicular to the transfer paper conveying direction. | 05-29-2014 |
20140153941 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device to form a toner image according to image data, a density adjustment toner pattern, and a timing adjustment toner pattern on an image bearer, a detector to detect the density adjustment toner pattern and the timing adjustment toner pattern, and an image density adjustment unit to execute image density adjustment based on an amount of toner adhering to the density adjustment toner pattern detected by the toner amount detector. The image density adjustment unit causes the image forming device to form the timing adjustment toner pattern before the density adjustment toner pattern is formed, and the image density adjustment unit adjusts a detection timing of the density adjustment toner pattern based on a detection timing of the timing adjustment toner pattern detected by the toner amount detector. | 06-05-2014 |
20140153942 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH ENDLESS BELT AND METHOD FOR CALCULATING MEANDERING AMOUNT OF BELT - An image forming apparatus includes a control unit which controls a correcting operation of correcting the meandering of an endless belt by a roller position adjusting mechanism. Prior to the correcting operation, the control unit causes a toner image for monitoring to be transferred to an area of a circumferential surface of the belt passing a detection area of a density sensor, causes the density sensor to perform a first detecting operation of detecting the toner image for monitoring, subsequently causes the density sensor to perform a second detecting operation of detecting the toner image for monitoring after the circumferential surface of the belt is moved by a predetermined distance, and calculates a meandering amount of the belt by comparing a first density value obtained by the first detecting operation and a second density value obtained by the second detecting operation. | 06-05-2014 |
20140153943 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONVEYANCE CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus including: a conveyance mechanism conveying a first pattern formed by a first image forming unit among image forming units, a second pattern formed by a second image forming unit among the image forming units; a detection unit detecting the first pattern and the second pattern; and a control unit controlling, when a first condition is satisfied, a timing of conveying a recording sheet having the image formed by the first image forming unit is transferred based on a first time required after the formation of the first pattern and before detecting the first pattern, and controlling, when a second condition is satisfied, a timing of conveying the recording sheet having the image formed by the second image forming unit is transferred based on a second time required after the formation of the second pattern and before detecting the second pattern. | 06-05-2014 |
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 |
20140255051 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a feeding unit configured to feed a sheet, an image forming unit configured to form a measurement image on the sheet fed by the feeding unit, a measuring unit configured to measure the measurement image formed on the sheet by the image forming unit, and an adjustment unit configured to perform an adjustment operation on basis of a measurement result of the measurement image. In this case, the image forming unit forms the measurement image of a first side of the sheet and forms a setting aid image on a second side that is different from the first side, and the setting aid image shows information describing the direction of the sheet for setting in the feeding unit and information for prompting to set the sheet with the second side up in the feeding unit. | 09-11-2014 |
20140255052 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention performs, at a predetermined timing, first gradation correction including forming a patch image on an image carrier, and correcting gradation characteristics of a formed image using a correction amount corresponding to the result of measurement of the patch image. The image forming apparatus further performs, at a predetermined frequency, second gradation correction including correcting the light power of laser light output from an exposure apparatus based on the result of detection or estimation of the charge amount of toner used in image formation, and correcting gradation characteristics using a correction amount corresponding to the result of the detection or estimation of the toner charge amount. | 09-11-2014 |
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 |
20140286659 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on the image bearing member, a conveyance member configured to transfer the toner image formed on the image bearing member onto a recording material and to convey the recording material, a detection member configured to detect the toner image on the conveyance member, and a control portion configured to set a position of a toner image, to be formed by the image forming unit, relative to the recording material based on a result obtained by forming a test toner image so as to extend over the conveyance member and an end portion of the recording material, transferring the formed test toner image onto the conveyance member and the recording material, and causing the detection member to detect the test toner image transferred onto the conveyance member. | 09-25-2014 |
20140294412 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a toner image forming unit, a detector, and a controller to adjust an image forming condition based on a detection result by the detector. During a non-printing period, multiple toner patterns are formed in an end and center portions of the image bearer in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the image bearer moves, and a smaller number of toner patterns selected from the multiple toner patterns are formed in a non-image area, in the end portion of the image bearer, during a printing period. The controller determines a target density X of the smaller number of toner patterns by X=H (a mean detected density of the multiple toner patterns formed in the end portion)×J (a predetermined reference value)/I(a mean detected density of the multiple toner patterns formed in the end portion and in the center portion). | 10-02-2014 |
20140294413 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - After a toner image is transferred from a photoreceptor to an intermediate transfer belt, a surface of the photoreceptor is destaticized by a static eraser including a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in an axial direction of the photoreceptor. A first density sensor and a second density sensor for detecting densities of toner applied to the intermediate transfer belt are provided at a position where a large quantity of light from the static eraser is applied to the photoreceptor surface and a position where a small quantity of light from the static eraser is applied to the photoreceptor surface. In a case where a density difference between the detected toner densities exceeds a predetermined threshold value, a destaticization controller carries out an additional destaticizing operation by the static eraser. | 10-02-2014 |
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 |
20140308049 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING TWO OR MORE LIGHT RECEIVING UNITS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an image forming means for forming a patch image on the image carrier, a light emitting means, a plurality of light receiving means adjacently arranged so as to receive light reflected from the patch image when light is irradiated by the light emitting means onto the patch image which moves with movement of the image carrier and each including one or more light receiving elements, and an output means for outputting an output signal that depends on a difference between a received light quantity of a first light receiving means and a received light quantity of a second light receiving means that are respectively odd-numbered and even-numbered in the arrangement order of the light receiving means. | 10-16-2014 |
20140314432 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, in the case where a time necessary for a developer bearing member to rotate from a measurement position where an attracting unit attracts the toner on the developer bearing member to a developing position at which an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member is developed by a toner on the developer bearing member is represented by a time Tqcm, a time necessary for the photosensitive member to rotate from an exposure position at which an exposure unit exposes the photosensitive member to the developing position is represented by a time Tetd, and a time necessary for a control unit to control an exposing condition based on a charge amount measured by a measuring unit is represented by a time Tp, the attracting unit is disposed so that Tqcm≧Tedt+Tp holds true. | 10-23-2014 |
20140314433 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR FORMING ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE FOR CORRECTION - An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive member configured to be rotated; scanning means for scanning, by light corresponding to image data, the photosensitive member that is charged, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member; and a contacting member in contact with the photosensitive member to form a nip portion. In a correction mode in which a shift of an image is corrected based on a detection result obtained by detecting, at the nip portion, an electrostatic latent image for correction formed on the photosensitive member by the scanning means, a width of the electrostatic latent image for correction is equal to or more than a width of the nip portion in a rotation direction of the photosensitive member. | 10-23-2014 |
20150037054 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a toner image forming unit, a transfer unit, a detector, and a controller. The toner image forming unit forms a plurality of types of density detection patterns on the surface of the image bearer in mutually-different positions in a surface-movement direction of the image bearer. The density detection patterns have mutually-different lengths in a direction orthogonal to the surface-movement direction of the image bearer. The transfer unit transfers the density detection patterns onto the surface of the transfer member. The detector detects image densities of the density detection patterns transferred on the surface of the transfer member. The controller calculates an image density difference between the density detection patterns on a basis of a detection result obtained by the detector, and corrects a transfer bias for transferring a toner image on a basis of a value of the image density difference. | 02-05-2015 |
20150063849 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - 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. | 03-05-2015 |
20150078773 | WET-TYPE IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS - 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. | 03-19-2015 |
20150093131 | OPTICAL SENSOR, IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR CORRECTING TONER CONCENTRATION - An optical sensor configured to irradiate an object area with light and receive reflected light, amplify a voltage in accordance with the reflected light by an amplifier circuit and a resulting voltage, the optical sensor comprising a recording medium recorded with information indicating a noise component calculated, based on characteristics of an input voltage and an output voltage of the amplifier circuit. | 04-02-2015 |
20150093132 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an image forming unit, a density sensor, a gradation characteristic data generator, and a gradation corrector. The density sensor includes a low-pass filter to remove a high-frequency component of an output of the image density sensor. The gradation characteristic data generator forms a gradation correction pattern on the image carrier. The gradation correction pattern is a continuous gradation pattern including first and second patterns. The gradation characteristic data generator continuously detects image density of the continuous gradation pattern and background areas adjacent to the continuous gradation pattern to generate the gradation characteristic data. The gradation characteristic data generator forms a compensation pattern on the image carrier next to and continuous with a leading end of the first pattern in an image carrier rotational direction, to compensate for a response delay of the output of the density sensor due to the low-pass filter. | 04-02-2015 |
20150098718 | PRINTER CONTROL USING OPTICAL AND ELECTROSTATIC SENSORS - Various methods and devices transfer test patches of marking material from a marking device of a printing apparatus to a transfer surface of the printing apparatus, optically measure the density of the test patches on the transfer surface using an optical sensor of the printing apparatus, and measure the electrostatic differences in charge of the transfer surface as the test patches on the transfer surface move by an electrostatic sensor of the printing apparatus. Such methods and devices adjust settings of the marking device based on output from the electrostatic sensor alone, or based on a combination of the output from the optical sensor and converted output from the electrostatic sensor. | 04-09-2015 |
20150098719 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A Zener diode contacts an inner periphery surface of an intermediate transfer belt, and an opposing roller which opposes a detecting member is electrically insulated, in a configuration where transfer is performed at multiple photosensitive drums while an electrical current is applied in a peripheral direction of the intermediate transfer belt. | 04-09-2015 |
20150117885 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT UPDATES PROCESS CONDITION OF IMAGE FORMATION - An image forming apparatus includes an update unit configured to cause an image forming unit to form a first measurement image, cause a measurement unit to measure the first measurement image, and update a process condition based on a measurement result; a first determination unit configured to cause the image forming unit to form a plurality of second measurement images, cause the measurement unit to measure the plurality of second measurement images, and determine the process condition based on a measurement result, the plurality of second measurement images being formed according to a plurality of test process conditions; and a second determination unit configured to determine the plurality of test process conditions, based on an environment information obtained by an obtainment unit and the process condition updated by the update unit. | 04-30-2015 |
20150125168 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a charger to charge the image bearer; an electrostatic latent image former to form an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer; an image developer to develop the electrostatic latent image with a toner to form a visual toner image; a transferer to transfer the toner image on a transfer material; a toner concentration calculator to calculate a concentration of the toner; and an optical detector. At least a toner patch image is formed on the image bearer with an irradiation quantity set such that an irradiated part potential is larger than a developing condition, the toner patch image is read by the optical detector, and the charging condition is corrected on the basis of a difference between a toner concentration of the toner patch image and a target toner concentration. | 05-07-2015 |
20150125169 | Image Forming Apparatus Provided with Image Formation Position Correction Function - In an image forming apparatus, an image forming device have an operating part and is configured to form an image at an image formation position on an imaging target. A control device is configured to control the image forming device to start performing an image forming process, determine an adjustment amount regarding the image formation position based on an operation amount of the operating part measured during a period of time from a first specified timing in a previous image forming process to a second specified timing in or before a current image forming process, and adjust, based on the adjustment amount, the image formation position where an image is formed pursuant to the current image forming process. | 05-07-2015 |
20150139673 | Digital Printing Method and System with Left/Right Correction - Digital printing method for printing an image, using a printing system capable of printing a plurality of density levels, including: printing at least one left control strip in a left zone of a print medium and at least one right control strip in a right zone of said print medium, said left control strip including at least one left patch and said right control strip including at least one right patch, wherein settings are used which are intended for printing the same color and/or density level for a left patch of said at least one left patch and for a corresponding right patch of said at least one right patch; measuring a density level and/or color of at least said printed left patch and right patch; adjusting said printing system based on a difference between the measured density levels and/or colors of said left patch and said right patch in order to perform a left-right correction in said image to be printed; and printing the image using said adjusted printing system. | 05-21-2015 |
20150293488 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DETECTION APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: irradiation means for irradiating an image carrier having a detection image with light; light-receiving means for receiving reflected light of the light irradiated by irradiation means and outputting a detection signal corresponding to a light-receiving amount of the reflected light including a specular-reflected light component; and detection means for detecting one of position information and density information of the detection image based on a signal corresponding to a difference between a value of the detection signal corresponding to the light-receiving amount of the reflected light from a first position where the detection image is formed and a value of the detection signal corresponding to the light-receiving amount of the reflected light from a second position different from the first position. | 10-15-2015 |
20150293489 | APPARATUS AND MEASUREMENT METHOD - There is provided with an apparatus. A measurement unit emits light to an image carrier conveying a toner image and measures an incident position of the light in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the image carrier by observing the emitted light. The measurement unit has an irradiation unit configured to emit the first light and the second light and an observation unit configured to observe the first light and the second light. The irradiation unit emits the first light and the second light at positions separate from each other in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the toner image, with irradiation directions of the first light and the second light being substantially orthogonal to the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the toner image. | 10-15-2015 |
20150301470 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DETECTION APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: irradiation means for irradiating an image carrier having a formed detection image with light, the irradiation means being capable of switching a size of a light-emitting region; light-receiving means for receiving reflected light of the light irradiated by the irradiation means and outputting a detection signal corresponding to a light-receiving amount of the reflected light including a specular-reflected light component; detection means for detecting one of position information and density information of the detection image based on the detection signal; and control means for controlling to switch the size of the light-emitting region to detect one of the position information and the density information of the detection image. | 10-22-2015 |
20150316885 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a controller to perform a primary image forming condition determination control to determine a primary image forming condition for each of a plurality of image forming devices in a multi-color image forming mode based on a toner adhesion amount adhered to a transferred image bearer that is detected by a toner adhesion detector and a secondary image forming condition determination control to determine a secondary image forming condition for a particular at least one of the plurality of image forming devices in a particular color image forming mode based on the toner adhesion amount. The controller performs the primary image forming condition determination control at a predetermined time and determines whether or not to perform the secondary image forming condition determination control based on the toner adhesion amount detected under the primary image forming condition determination control. | 11-05-2015 |
20150338787 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a first photosensitive drum having a first outer diameter, a second photosensitive drum having a second outer diameter larger than the first outer diameter, an intermediate transfer belt, a first primary transfer roller, a second primary transfer roller, and a cleaning unit configured to electrostatically remove toner attached to the intermediate transfer belt, and can perform a first image forming mode, in which the first and second photosensitive drums and the intermediate transfer belt contact each other, and a second image forming mode in which the first photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer belt are separated from each other, and a pressing force applied from the second primary transfer roller to the second photosensitive drum is larger than a pressing force applied from the first primary transfer roller to the first photosensitive drum. | 11-26-2015 |
20150362868 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt-shaped image bearer that is rotatably supported and entrained around rollers; a transfer member positioned to contact an outer surface of the image bearer; a transfer device to transfer a toner image conveyed while being carried on the outer surface of the image bearer onto a transfer medium conveyed between the image bearer and the transfer member; a toner image sensor to detect the toner image transferred onto the transfer medium; and a conveyance speed controller to fine-tune a conveyance speed of the transfer medium. Based on fine-tuning data of the conveyance speed controller, a detection result of the toner image sensor is corrected and image forming conditions are corrected based on the corrected detection result. | 12-17-2015 |
20150362878 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AMOUNT OF LIGHT, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus determines, based on detection performed by an optical sensor unit on an intermediate transfer belt while light-emitting devices emit a predetermined amount of light, an amount of light the light-emitting devices emit when the optical sensor unit detects a misregistration detection toner pattern and a density variation detection toner pattern. | 12-17-2015 |
20150362879 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD ADJUSTING IMAGE FORMING CONDITION - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a toner image forming device; a transfer rotator; a transfer device; a rotation position detector; an image density detector; a density data acquisition unit to causes the toner image forming device to form an adjustment toner image equal to or greater in length than a circumferential length of the image bearer, cause a linear velocity difference between the image bearer and the transfer rotator in transfer of the adjustment toner image, and acquires, from a detected image density of the toner image transferred from the image bearer, detected by the image density detector, image density unevenness data with reference to detection of a reference rotation position of one of the image bearer and a rotator; and a correction unit to adjust an image forming condition according to the reference rotation position, the image density unevenness data, and the linear velocity difference. | 12-17-2015 |
20160004183 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, when some of a plurality of image supporters which are preceded by another image supporter on an upstream side of the carrying direction are referred to as downstream side image supporters, a control section derives a toner supply amount for each of positions in a main-scanning direction for each of downstream side image supporters based on image data for the downstream side image supporters and image data for an upstream side image supporter, and thereafter generates patch image data that represents the derived toner supply amount, and the exposure section further scans each of the downstream side image supporters in the main-scanning direction with an optical beam modulated according to the patch image data generated by the control section. | 01-07-2016 |
20160011556 | Image Forming Apparatus, Image Forming Method and Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Storage Device Having Image Forming Program | 01-14-2016 |
20160062287 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PERFORMING MARK DATA GENERATING PROCESSES TWICE AND DETERMINING WHETHER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO SETS OF DATA BASED ON MARK DATA GENERATING PROCESSES IS WITHIN PRESCRIBED RANGE - In an image forming apparatus, a processor is configured to: determine whether prescribed criterion is met, the prescribed criterion indicating that a non agitation period of time, during which the agitator has not agitated the toner, has passed a predetermined period of time; perform a mark data generating process in which mark data is generated by forming a mark and reading the formed mark when the prescribed criterion is met; perform another mark data generating process in which another mark data is generated by forming another mark and reading the formed another mark after performing the mark data generating process; determine whether a difference between the mark data and the another mark data is within a prescribed range; and determine an adjustment value on a basis of at least one of the mark data and the another mark data when the difference is within the prescribed range. | 03-03-2016 |
20160077458 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT CORRECTS IMAGE FORMING CONDITION BASED ON MEASUREMENT RESULT OF MEASUREMENT IMAGE - An image forming apparatus includes: a measuring unit configured to measure a plurality of measurement image, the plurality of measurement images including a first measurement image and second measurement images; a generation unit configured to generate a conversion condition based on second measurement data corresponding to the second measurement images; a first determination unit configured to determine an execution condition based on first measurement data corresponding to the first measurement image; and a second determination unit configured to determine a light intensity based on the first measurement data, wherein a subsequent timing when the plurality of measurement images are to be formed is determined based on the execution condition, an exposure unit updates the set light intensity to the light intensity determined by the second determination unit when the plurality of measurement images are formed at the subsequent timing. | 03-17-2016 |
20160085185 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - When density of a first patch does not fall within a target density, a control portion forms a first patch again by increasing a development contrast and a second patch without changing a development contrast. If the first patch formed again does not fall within the target density, densities of the second patches formed without changing the development contrast are compared. The density of the first patch formed again does not fall within the target density because a non-electrostatic adhesion has been generated in toner or a toner charge amount has increased. Then, it is determined whether or not the non-electrostatic adhesion has been generated based on the comparison of the densities of the second patches formed without changing the development contrast. If a difference of the densities of the second patches is small, a primary transfer current is increased by assuming that the non-electrostatic adhesion has been generated. | 03-24-2016 |
20160085194 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a conversion unit configured to convert image data based on a conversion condition, an image forming unit configured to be controlled based on an image forming condition, and to form an image based on the converted image data, a measurement unit configured to measure a plurality of measurement images, a first determination unit configured to determine the image forming condition based on a first measurement result of a first measurement image, a generation unit configured to generate the conversion condition based on second measurement results of second measurement images and a feedback condition, and a second determination unit configured to determine the feedback condition based on the first measurement result. The image forming unit sets the determined image forming condition in next timing. The conversion unit updates the conversion condition after the generation unit generates the conversion condition and before the next timing. | 03-24-2016 |
20160085196 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a conversion unit that converts image data based on a conversion condition, an image forming unit that forms an image based on the converted image data, a measurement unit that measures a measuring image, and a generation unit that controls the image forming unit to form a first measuring image while the image forming unit is continuously forming images, and generates the conversion condition based on first measurement data of the first measuring image and a first feedback condition. The generation unit controls the image forming unit to form a second measuring image during a period from when toner discharge processing has been performed until the image forming unit forms a subsequent image, and generates the conversion condition based on second measurement data of the second measuring image, and a second feedback condition with a larger correction amount than the first feedback condition. | 03-24-2016 |
20160124364 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus supplies, to an image carrying member, a toner to which a lubricant is externally added to form a toner image and transfers the toner image to a sheet transported to the image carrying member. The image forming apparatus includes a control portion that controls, when a toner patch is formed onto the image carrying member in a part corresponding to a region between the sheets transported continuously, the drawing of the toner patch based on coverage information of the toner image transferred to the sheet transported in a predetermined period. | 05-05-2016 |
20160131991 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a developer bearer and a toner pattern bearer rotatable in a given direction of rotation to bear an adjustment toner pattern formed with the developer bearer. A toner pattern detector detects an amount of reflection light reflected by the adjustment toner pattern on the toner pattern bearer. A controller performs an adjustment mode to convert the detected amount of reflection light into a toner adhesion amount of toner of the adjustment toner pattern adhered to the toner pattern bearer. The controller forms an adhesion amount suppressing toner image on an upstream region on the toner pattern bearer that is upstream from the adjustment toner pattern in the direction of rotation of the toner pattern bearer. The upstream region is defined by a circumferential length of the developer bearer in the direction of rotation of the toner pattern bearer. | 05-12-2016 |
20160187829 | Image forming apparatus - A positioning member has a positioning surface that abuts an inner peripheral surface of an intermediate transfer belt to perform the positioning of the intermediate transfer belt with respect to a density detection sensor and a cleaning surface coated with a cleaning member having hardness lower than that of the positioning surface and abutting the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt via the cleaning member. When a correction process is performed by a density correction section, the positioning surface of the positioning member 36 abuts the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and when the correction process is not performed by the density correction section, the cleaning surface of the positioning member abuts the intermediate transfer belt. | 06-30-2016 |
20160252863 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 09-01-2016 |
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