Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Junichi Kimizuka

Toshihiko Inuyama

Kaoru Sato

Hiroshi Hashimoto

Akihiro Nakamura

Akihisa Kusano

Satoshi Nagata

Tomohiro Nakamori

Shigeru Ueda

Shinichiro Maekawa

Yutaka Tokura

Takashi Soya

Yoji Kaneko

Kaoru Seto

Yukihide Ushio

Hajime Motoyama

Tatsuto Tachibana

Akihiko Takeuchi

Takashi Kitamura

Hiroaki Sakai

Kenjiro Hori

Hiroo Kobayashi

Tomoyuki Araki

Takayasu Yuminamochi

Jun Saito

Soya Endo

Kazuhiko Okazawa

Toshiyuki Itoh

Makoto Abe

Hitoshi Machino

Yoichi Toyokura

Masanori Ishizu

Satoshi Egawa

Akira Nakaya

Toshiyuki Ito

Takeji Gima

Masaki Unishi

Katsuhito Dei

Junji Ichikawa

Yasutaka Noguchi

Masaaki Ishii

Atsuko Adachi

Hiroaki Miyake

Haruo Shimizu

Hiroshi Takami

Tsuyoshi Waragai

Yoshiro Tsuchiya

Kiyoto Toyoizumi

Hiroshi Chihara

Takahiro Azeta

Yuichi Higuchi

Masaharu Tsukada

Yukio Inagi, Isaka

Takamasa Sawada

Toshifumi Moritani

Tadashi Yagi

Yasumasa Nashida

Hiroshi Yukimachi

Hitoshi Fujino

Hironori Shido

Haruo Uchiyama

Kazuo Hoshido

Masahito Otsuka

Kuasano Akihisa

The image formation apparatus satisfies a user's demand to effectively use a sheet by writing an image to the marginal sheet edge, and prevents that toner is not transferred to the sheet but adhered to a transfer roller when the sheet is slightly misregistered from its accurate position, whereby back stain occurs in a next sheet. In this apparatus, an area in which the image is masked is changed by a CPU, according to an input mode of a image signal from an image signal generation unit. In a printer mode that the image signal is input from a host computer, image masking signals by which an image can be formed up to the sheet edge are given to gate circuits so as to expand the image up to the marginal sheet edge. In a mode that the image signal is input from an image reader, the image masking signals by which a margin can be provided at the sheet edge are given to the gate circuits so as to limit an image area.

Image formation apparatus

An image recording apparatus includes an image forming device, a fixing device, a cooling device and a controller. The image forming device forms an image on a recording medium on the basis of an image signal generated by an image signal generating unit. The fixing device uses heat to fix the image formed on the recording medium, and the cooling device cools the inside of the apparatus. The controller selectively executes either a first economy mode in which the cooling device is activated and the fixing device is inactivated on the basis of a command from the image signal generating unit, or a second economy mode in which both the cooling device and the fixing device are inactivated.

Image recording apparatus with controller for selectively executing an energy saving mode

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor laser chip having a first light-emitting surface which is formed on one end face of the semiconductor laser chip and which outputs a plurality of front beams, and a second light-emitting surface which is formed on an end face opposite to the first light-emitting surface and which outputs a plurality of back beams corresponding to the plurality of front beams. A photodetector is so formed on the semiconductor laser device as to face the second light-emitting surface of the semiconductor laser chip. The photodetector has a plurality of photodetecting portions for independently detecting the plurality of back beams output from the second light-emitting surface. The photodetector is in tight contact with the second light-emitting surface of the semiconductor laser chip.

Semiconductor laser device, and image forming apparatus

If an optional paper feeding deck or furnisher, or paper stacker, is connected to an image forming apparatus (such as a printer), such optional devices are to be controlled by connecting the paper conveyance control apparatus to control those options. Such an image forming apparatus has a video controller to convert the printer language sent from a high-order device such as a host computer, into a bit map data and a printer engine to print the bit map data. Such a paper conveyance control apparatus, being electrically connected to the video controller, has a memory to be shared with the video controller. The video controller writes the job schedule in the shared memory. The paper conveyance control apparatus controls the optional device according to the written job schedule.

Apparatus to control optional paper conveyance device and image processing apparatus using the same

If an optional paper feeding deck or furnisher, or paper stacker, is connected to an image forming apparatus (such as a printer), such optional devices are to be controlled by connecting the paper conveyance control apparatus to control those options. Such an image forming apparatus has a video controller to convert the printer language sent from a high-order device such as a host computer, into bit map data and a printer engine to print the bit map data. Such a paper conveyance control apparatus, being electrically connected to the video controller, has a memory to be shared with the video controller. The video controller writes the job schedule in the shared memory. The paper conveyance control apparatus controls the optional device according to the written job schedule.

In an image forming apparatus, a plurality of laser beams are emitted by a plurality of laser sources and are scanned onto a recording medium. The laser beams scanned are detected by two light-receiving elements juxtaposed in a main scanning direction. The output signals from the two light-receiving elements are compared so that a reference timing signal indicating that each of the scanned laser beams has reached a substantially middle position between the two light-receiving elements is outputted. The write operations of the plurality of laser sources in the main scanning direction are controlled to be synchronized on the basis of the respective reference timing signals.

Image forming apparatus

There is provided an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit for forming an image on either a free-size sheet of an arbitrary size other than a regular size or a regular-size sheet, a controlling unit for controlling, when the image forming unit forms the image on the regular-size sheet, a controlling target unit according to a size of the regular-size sheet, an inputting unit for inputting a size of the free-size sheet, and a converting unit for converting the size inputted by the inputting unit, to suit the converted size to the controlling performed by the controlling unit to the regular-size sheet, wherein the controlling unit performs the different controlling for each group of the sheet sizes, and the converting unit performs the converting to suit the size of the free-size sheet to the group.

Image forming apparatus for forming image on free-size sheet having arbitrary size

A toner remaining amount detecting device used for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to sequentially detect an amount of toner in a toner containing portion, includes a first electrode disposed along a path in which an amount of toner contained in the toner containing portion for containing the toner is decreased upon consumption, a second electrode disposed so that the toner in the toner containing portion can exist between the first and second electrodes when the toner is contained in the toner containing portion, and a capacitance-detecting device for sequentially detecting a change in capacitance between the first and second electrodes, wherein the amount of the toner in the toner containing portion is detected sequentially.

Toner remaining amount detecting device, toner remaining amount detecting method, process cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly, a unit detachably attachable to the main assembly, the unit having a memory and a first antenna electrically connected to the memory, communicator for communicating with the memory when the unit is mounted on the main assembly, the communication means having a second antenna, and an electrically conductive shield surrounding at least the first antenna and the second antenna when the unit is mounted on the main assembly.

Image forming apparatus including a unit detachably attachable to the main assembly having a memory and an antenna electrically connected to the memory

A video controller generates a video signal from image data on the basis of a print instruction, and an engine controller controls a laser scanner in accordance with the generated video signal to record an image on recording paper by an image forming section. A master controller of an optional master unit performs overall control of a variety of optional units, such as a paper-deck optional unit and a sorter optional unit, in dependence upon a control instruction sent from the video controller. Accordingly, it is possible to provide an image recording apparatus to which a wide variety of optional units can be connected freely without raising the cost of the main body of the apparatus.

Image recording method and apparatus

An image forming apparatus which includes a main body which has a printer engine which forms an image on a recording medium, a supply unit which supplies the recording medium to the main body, and a discharge unit which receives the recording medium, on which an image is recorded, discharged from the main body. The supply unit and discharge unit detachably connect to the apparatus and the units are stackable under the main body, and the supply unit and discharge unit have a relaying device for relaying the recording medium which is supplied or discharged from another unit or the main body.

Controller for handling the supply and discharge of recording media

An image recording apparatus operates a counter acting as a print timer in a printing operation. In a case where a counted value reaches a predetermined value, the image recording apparatus sets a waiting state, stops power supply from a high voltage power supply unit according to a predetermined sequence, starts to operate a nonvolatile memory in a cartridge according to a predetermined procedure, reads data from the memory, adds the read data to the counted value of the print timer, and then writes an added result.

Image recording apparatus capable of detecting life of a replaceable cartridge

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Yokohama, Japan

Junichi Kimizuka