Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Hiroyuki Murai

Toshiki Takiguchi

Hirokazu Yamauchi

Kazuhiro Matsuyama

Masato Kuze

Yuji Kumagai

Fumio Shimazu

Junya Masuda

Yoshiaki Masuda

Toshihiko Seike

Hideshi Izumi

Noriaki Taguchi

Takahiko Yoshida

Masashi Hirai

Hiroshi Tachiki

Yoko Sawa

An image recording apparatus includes a first pullout unit, a second pullout unit, and a first lock mechanism. The first unit is movable along a first axis between a first retracted position where the first unit is fully retracted in the apparatus, and a first exposed position where at least one side surface thereof is fully exposed to the front of the apparatus. The second unit is movable along a second axis, which is perpendicular to the first axis, between a second retracted position where the second unit is fully retracted in the first unit, and a second exposed position where the second unit is exposed to a side of the side surface of the first unit. The first lock mechanism prevents movement of the second unit from the second retracted position to the second exposed position when the first unit is not in the first exposed position.

Unit pulling-out mechanism and image recording apparatus

Image recording apparatus with first and second pullout units

An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing element that bears a toner image to be transferred to a sheet; an image forming portion that forms the toner image on the image bearing element; a cleaning element that cleans the surface of the image bearing element; a storage portion that stores a history of print coverage; a control portion that makes the image forming portion form a cleaning toner image to be supplied to the image bearing element at time of cleaning by the cleaning element; and a print coverage calculating portion that calculates the print coverage of the sheet. The control portion obtains an average value of the print coverage in a period from after a previous cleaning by the cleaning element until before a current cleaning, and determines an amount of toner for the cleaning toner image supplied to the image bearing element based on the average value.

Image forming apparatus

A control portion obtains a first difference in a movement amount between paper passing period and paper non-passage period of a transfer belt, and determines whether or not a first absolute value thereof is a first threshold value or more. In a case where the first absolute value is the first threshold value or more, a transfer belt unit positional adjustment motor is driven to adjust a first angle with respect to a first direction of a transfer belt unit with respect to a photoreceptor drum. In a case where the first absolute value is less than the first threshold value, a second absolute value of a second difference between a movement amount and a designed value set in advance of the transfer belt is obtained, and whether or not the second absolute value is a second threshold value or more is determined. When the second absolute value is less than the second threshold value, the processing is finished, and when the second absolute value is the second threshold value or more, a second angle with respect to a second direction orthogonal to the first direction of the driving roller with respect to the photoreceptor drum is adjusted so as to be less than the second threshold value by a driving roller positional adjustment motor.

Cleaning performance of a cleaning pad for cleaning a charging wire is maintained so that the charging voltage of an image carrier by a charging wire is stabilized. A charging wire cleaning apparatus is provided with a cleaning pad for cleaning a charging wire which charges an image carrier, a slider which is a supporting body for supporting the cleaning pad, and a screw shaft which is a moving mechanism for reciprocating the slider in parallel to the charging wire. When the slider is at a predetermined position of the reciprocation range, the cleaning pad and the charging wire are separated, and the cleaning pad is adapted to be shifted with respect to the charging wire in this state.

Charging wire cleaning apparatus

In an image forming method, an electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of a photoreceptor is developed into a developer image with a developer, and a printing paper transported on a transfer belt is brought into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor so as to transfer the developer image onto the printing paper. The printing paper is transported in a proper transport direction, in which a projection generated in one direction on the printing paper as a result of cutting the printing paper in a printing paper manufacturing process does not face a surface of the transfer belt at a leading edge of the printing paper being transported on the transfer belt. In this way, even in the presence of the projection generated when the printing paper is cut, the printing paper naturally strips off from the surface of the photoreceptor, thereby preventing toner contamination caused by a striping claw in contact with the leading edge of the printing paper.

Image forming method and image forming apparatus

A belt carrying device includes supporting rollers, an endless belt supported by the supporting rollers, and guiding members provided on the endless belt. The endless belt is rotated by rotation of the supporting rollers. An outer peripheral surface of the endless belt is in contact with a cleaning member. The guiding members are provided on those projecting areas of the endless belt, which project in an axial direction of the supporting rollers from both end surfaces of the supporting roller. A guiding member suppresses meandering of the endless belt by coming into contact with an end surface of the supporting roller. Formed on the end, surfaces of at least one of the supporting rollers are projecting sections and groove sections, which are rotated around a rotation axis of the at least one of the supporting rollers in response to rotation of the at least one of the supporting rollers.

Belt carrying device, intermediate transfer device, and image forming apparatus

In an image forming apparatus, an electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of a photoreceptor is developed into a toner image. A printing paper transported on a transport belt is brought into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor and an electric field is applied to the printing paper from a rear surface of the transport belt by a transfer roller to transfer the toner image onto the printing paper. The transfer roller applies different levels of electric field to the printing paper, so that a predetermined transfer electric field is applied to a region other than a leading edge of the printing paper being transported. An electric field weaker than the predetermined transfer electric field is applied to the leading edge. Even in the presence of a projection generated when the printing paper is cut, the printing paper naturally strips off from the surface of the photoreceptor.

Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and transfer device

A transfer device includes a transfer device controller for controlling the whole transfer device, a storage for storing various kinds of data etc. necessary for control, an intermediate transfer unit including a primary transfer power supply and its driver, a secondary transfer unit including a secondary transfer power supply and its driver, and a PTC unit. In the transfer device, a controller communicates with a main controller that controls the whole image forming apparatus, and acquires, for example, information on the total print count or the like. When PTC radiation is determined to be needed based on the above information, the controller controls to drive the PTC unit.

Transfer device and image forming apparatus using the same

A charging device includes a rotatable screw gear, a motor, a support, and a protruding member. The screw gear is positioned along length of a linear electrode. The motor rotates the screw gear in forward and reverse directions. The support holds the cleaning member mounted so as to be in contact with the electrode, and is mounted unrotatably but reciprocably between a first end and a second end of the electrode. The member extends perpendicular to the length of the electrode from the support, and has a projection for being elastically fitted into a thread groove of the screw gear along a radial direction of the screw gear. The member is configured in such a manner that a distance between a starting point of elastic deformation of the member and a contact point between the projection and a thread of the screw gear differs according to whether the support is moved forward or backward.

Charging device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus and a maintenance method thereof are provided to enable rotation and replacement of a peeling claw at a suitable timing before the peeling claw is deformed or damaged. Several peeling members are disposed in a width direction of a drum-shaped photoreceptor. Each peeling member is disposed with a peeling claw and a collision sensor detecting that the peeling claw collides with a sheet. A collision history value of each peeling claw is stored and managed based on a collision detection signal from the collision sensor; if the peeling claw reaching a preset rotation request value exists in the read collision history values of the peeling claws, a rotation request of the relevant peeling claw is reported; the collision history value of the rotated peeling claw is rewritten; and if the peeling claw reaching the rotation request value does not exist, a print process is performed.

Image forming apparatus and maintenance method thereof

A transfer mechanism includes: a transfer unit having a transfer belt; and a belt contact and separation assembly for bringing the transfer belt into, and separating it away from, an electrostatic latent image support by shifting the position of the transfer unit. The belt contact and separation assembly includes: a multiple number of transfer unit shifters that abut the transfer unit and shift the position of the transfer unit; a multiple number of linkage members that link with the plural transfer unit shifters, correspondingly; an elastic member for coupling the plural linkage members; and a driver for actuating the transfer unit shifters through the linkage members.

Transfer mechanism and image forming apparatus using the same

A charging device includes a long electrode, a cleaning member, a timing device, a drive source, a load measuring device, and a control device. The drive source moves the cleaning member in the outward direction for a first time period after the outward passage time and then reverses the cleaning member in the homeward position. The load measuring device measures driving load imposed on the drive source while the cleaning member is being moved. The control device controls motion of the drive source to turn the cleaning member from the outward direction to the homeward direction at a predetermined objective point near the second end, based on sum of driving loads imposed on the drive source while the cleaning member is being moved from the first point to a second point located along the outward direction.

Charging device

An image forming apparatus for executing image forming process on a page by page basis including: a toner image forming section for producing a visible image formed of toner as a toner image on an image carrier; a transfer section which performs a transfer process for transferring the formed toner image onto a recording medium; a cleaning section which removes toner remaining on the image carrier after the transfer process; a waste toner storing section in which the removed toner is accumulated; and a waste toner amount detecting section which detects an amount of the toner accumulated in the waste toner storing section on the basis of at least three detection levels.

Growing community of inventors

Yamatokoriyama, Japan

Hiroyuki Murai