Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Fuminori Moro

Hiroshi Tomita

Yukiyoshi Yamakoshi

Hajime Takei

Naoyuki Matsuda

Takayuki Ito

Shoichi Yoshikawa

Homare Sano

Noboru Oomoto

Atsuhiko Shimoyama

Hiroshi Nagashima

Yoshinori Tanaka

Shinya Matsuda

Satoshi Ogata

Takashi Nara

Youbao Peng

Tadashi Matsudaira

Paul C Schubert

Toshiyuki Sakai

Richard R Lemberger

Terrence H Joyce

Syuichi Katogi

Masashi Kawai

Hidekazu Nakagami

Yasuhiro Suzuki

Hiroshi Ibaraki

Naoki Matsui

Michiya Takeda

An image formation control section sets a secondary transfer section in the pressed state in the case of execution of a main scanning correction processing as color registration correction, and sets the secondary transfer section in the separated state in the case of execution of a sub-scanning correction processing, an entire lateral magnification correction processing, a partial lateral magnification correction processing, or a skew correction processing, which is the correction of the image position for components other than the main scanning direction as color registration correction so as to prevent the situation where the correction accuracy of the image position with respect to the main scanning direction decreases and to prevent a decrease in print quality due to a residual image of a registration correction processing.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming unit is provided with a regulating member placed in such a way as to surround a charging roller to regulate movement thereof. The regulating member has a pressing section inclined with respect to a straight line connecting the center of the charging roller to the axis of the photoconductor, as seen from the axial direction of the photoconductor. The pressing section is inclined farther away from the photoconductor toward upstream of rotation of the photoconductor. The regulating member allows the charging roller to electrically charge the photoconductor with a simplified structure and prevents adhering substances from accumulating on the contact portion between the photoconductor and the charging roller.

Image forming unit and image forming apparatus including elastically deformable charging roller

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which can achieve reduction in printing time, suppression of developer consumption, and implementation of silence. An image forming apparatus capable of forming a color image on an image carrier with use of developers of a plurality of different developing colors, including a plurality of developing devices respectively housing the developers of different colors, and a control section for controlling operation of the developing devices based on inputted image data, wherein the control section includes a concentration ratio recognition section for recognizing a concentration ratio of the respective colors for image data of every sheet from the image data, and controls so as to spare at least one color developer among the developers in response to the concentration ratio of respective colors recognized by the concentration ratio recognition section.

Image forming apparatus utilizing a concenteration ratio of colors

In a beltless tandem-type image forming apparatus, a plurality of pairs of transfer rollers are placed side by side at intervals along a conveying direction of sheets. A control section independently conveys sheets in sequence through nip sections of respective pairs of transfer rollers driven by a driving section while sequentially transferring images formed by an imaging section onto the sheets. Conveying speeds of the respective pairs of transfer rollers controlled by the driving section are gradually decreased for every pair of transfer rollers from an upstream side toward a downstream side along a conveying direction of the sheets, and consequently, a driving period for driving the respective pairs of transfer rollers to convey each sheet is gradually increased for every pair of transfer rollers from the upstream side toward the downstream side along the conveying direction of the sheets.

Beltless tandem-type image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carrier rollers placed on an inner circumferential side of an annular conveying path so as to face the annular conveying path and so as to be juxtaposed in a sheet conveying direction along the annular conveying path. Opposed rollers are provided on the outer circumferential side of the annular conveying path. Imaging sections for forming intrinsic color images on surfaces of the respective image carrier rollers are provided. A sheet is introduced to the annular conveying path and is conveyed along the sheet conveying direction sequentially through nip sections of the rollers, while the images formed on the surfaces of the respective image carrier rollers by the imaging sections are transferred one by one onto the sheet. The sheet with the images transferred thereon is released from the annular conveying path.

There is provided a cleaning device capable of maintaining a sufficient cleaning effect by preventing creep deformation of a cleaning member. The cleaning device of the present invention for cleaning a transfer body in an image forming apparatus includes a first cleaning member whose top end is brought into pressure contact with the transfer body, and a second cleaning member which is placed downstream from the first cleaning member with respect to a moving direction of the transfer body and whose top end is brought into pressure contact with the transfer body, wherein the second cleaning member is provided rotatably with respect to the first cleaning member.

Creep resistant cleaning device and image forming device having the same

In an image forming apparatus, a frame as an interior member is provided so as to oppose an exterior cover as an exterior member for controlling noise from an apparatus main body. An opening that is made up of a number of aperture regions is provided for allowing sound that is radiated to the exterior cover and reflected, to transmit toward the apparatus main body. By providing an opening in the frame or the like, it is possible to reduce noise energy radiated outside the apparatus in a simple manner.

Image forming apparatus capable of reducing noise energy radiated outside the apparatus, method of designing frame, and computer readable medium

An image reading apparatus which reads out a document, such as as a book, placed face-up and opened on a document table. The apparatus includes an image reading device for reading out the document image placed on the document table, a mirror for imaging the document upper side plane, a projecting device which projects marks onto the document and mirror, and an image processing unit. A document characterized portion imaged on the mirror is read out by the image reading device and the image processing unit rectifies image distortion of the read out document image based on the characterized portion.

Image reading apparatus for reading a bookform document placed on a document table in face-up state

The present invention pertains to a book scanner that reads the image of an document such as a book or magazine while it is placed open and face up, and more particularly, to an image reader that detects the height distribution of the document prior to performing a pre-scanning to detect the size of the document and the background luminance of the document. Thus, a focal length adjustment is performed in response to the detected height distribution while the pre-scanning takes place in order to prevent defocusing caused by the curvature of the document consisting of an open book or magazine. The book reader also reads the book in at least two spectral regions to detect and eliminate image anomalies.

Image reader

The present invention relates to a document placement device suitable for accommodating book-like documents for image reading and image reader device provided with the document placement device. The document placement device has a first platform for placement of pages on the right side of an open book document on the top surface thereof and a second platform provided adjacent to said first platform for placement of pages on the left side of an open book document on the top surface thereof. The first platform slides in a rightward direction when raised thereby inducing the second platform to slide in a rightward direction while being moved in a downward direction, and the first platform slides in a leftward direction when lowered thereby inducing the second platform to slide in a leftward direction while being moved in an upward direction.

Document placement mechanism and image reading device for books

An image forming apparatus that can be charged with a sheet cassette with a resealable flexible cover includes a roller member engageable with and translatable across the cover to wind the cover on the roller member. The size of the sheet material accommodated in the sheet cassette can be determined from a bar code and the movement of the roller member can be adjusted in accordance with the size of the sheet material. Timers can be set to provide predetermined time periods relative to the translating opening and closing movement of the roller member and, if these time periods expire, an indicator can be provided to the operator.

Information forming apparatus with mechanism for unsealing and sealing a

Disclosed is a disposable sheet cassette and an image forming apparatus in which such a sheet cassette is preferably employed. The sheet cassette is comprised of a cassette box capable of accommodating a plurality of sheet materials and having a flange portion extending outwards from the cassette box, an adhesive layer formed on the flange portion, and a sheet cover bonded on the adhesive layer for covering an opening of the sheet cassette. A portion of the sheet cover can be repeatedly separated from or applied to the adhesive layer to open or close the opening. The image forming apparatus is provided with a take-up roller movable above the sheet cover for winding the sheet cover, a pair of roller supports for rotatably supporting the take-up roller, a driving mechanism for moving the roller supports and for rotating the take-up roller, and a control system for operating the driving mechanism so that the take-up roller can wind the sheet cover after the sheet cassette has been charged in the apparatus.

Disposable sheet cassette and image forming apparatus designed to employ

An sheet handling apparatus includes suckers for sucking up a sheet from a sheet storing unit and two sensors which are disposed on the suckers. One of the sensors detects whether the suckers come into contact with the topmost sheet of a sheet stack in the sheet storing unit, and the other sensor detects whether there is a sheet in the sheet storing unit. After the suckers were operated to suck up a sheet, these sensors detect whether the suckers catch the sheet.

Sheet handling apparatus provided with a sheet sucking unit

An image forming apparatus includes a regulating member for regulating a sheet fed from the magazine in the widthwise direction, the regulating member being movable between a regulating position and a retreating position. The image forming apparatus further includes a cover member for opening and closing the magazine. When the cover member closes the magazine, the regulating member is in the retreating position, and when the cover member opens the magazine, the regulating member is in the regulating position.

Image forming apparatus provided with a sheet magazine

A recording medium detecting apparatus detects the fact that a recording medium has been conveyed to an image forming part of a laser beam printer. The image forming part is provided with a driving roller for producing a rotational motion and a following roller held in pressed contact with the driving roller and consequently allowed to follow the rotational motion. The thrust of the recording medium in between the two rollers is discriminated by the detection of a change in the rotational speed of the driving roller which change is caused by the thrust of the recording medium in between the rollers. In accordance with the result of detection of this thrust, the timing for image formation in the image forming part is controlled. Thus, the arrival of the recording medium at a prescribed destination can be detected without requiring use of a sensor or a switch. Where a plurality of recording media are conveyed in a superposed state, the number of these recording media can be discriminated by detecting the amount of change in the rotation speed. The display part for displaying the residual amount of recording media is controlled in accordance with the number of recording media involved in the thrust. The display part tells the operator the residual amount of recording media.

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Toyokawa, Japan

Fuminori Moro