Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Kyocera Mita Corporation

Keisuke Oba

Koji Uno

Yasuhiro Michishita

Kanako Kikuchi

Masaru Watanabe

Takuji Watanabe

Yasuaki Sakamoto

Ayato Morikami

Yuki Nakaiwa

Jun Azuma

Akihiro Kondo

Masashi Fujishima

Yukimasa Watanabe

Takashi Nagashima

Kenji Miyamoto

Satoshi Uemura

Ayako Yashima

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, and an intermediate transfer belt. The image carrier has a surface on which an amorphous silicon photosensitive layer is formed. The intermediate transfer belt is a plastic belt having a surface resistivity of 9.5 to 10.5 (log Ω/square). An offset amount of the primary transfer roller from the image carrier is 0 to 2 (mm), a contact surface pressure between the image carrier and the intermediate transfer belt is 0.5 to 1.5 (gf/mm), and a charge density of primary transfer current that flows when the primary transfer voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller is 0.016 to 0.040 (μC/cm).

Image forming apparatus

The intermediate transfer unit includes: an endless intermediate transfer belt which is turned around while carrying a toner image on its outer circumferential surface; and a plurality of rollers on which the intermediate transfer belt is turnably stretched, wherein the intermediate transfer belt has, on its inner circumferential surface, an information recording area in which belt information has been recorded, and the intermediate transfer belt has a mark at a position in the outer circumferential surface where a positional relationship between the mark and the information recording area comes to a specified relationship.

Intermediate transfer unit and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming portions, an intermediate transfer belt, a primary transfer member, a secondary transfer roller, a counter roller, and a charge eliminating device. The counter roller is pressed against the secondary transfer roller via an intermediate transfer belt to thereby form a secondary transfer nip portion. The charge eliminating device includes a charge eliminating needle that is disposed with an end part thereof pointing to a downstream side in a conveyance direction of the recording medium, and that is grounded, and a charge eliminating needle protection cover that has a guide surface that is opposed to the recording medium having passed through the secondary transfer nip portion, and that maintains a constant interval between the recording medium and the charge eliminating needle, and eliminates residual charge on the recording medium having passed through the secondary transfer nip portion.

Image forming apparatus with charge eliminating needle protection cover that maintains constant interval between the needle and a sheet

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming portions, an intermediate transfer belt, a primary transfer member, a secondary transfer roller, a counter roller, and a charge eliminating device. The counter roller is pressed against the secondary transfer roller via an intermediate transfer belt to thereby form a secondary transfer nip portion. The charge eliminating device includes a charge eliminating needle that is disposed with an end part thereof pointing to a downstream side in a conveyance direction of the recording medium, and that is grounded, and a charge eliminating needle protection cover that has a guide surface that is opposed to the recording medium having passed through the secondary transfer nip portion. The guide surface is formed of a conductive material having a resistance value of 10Ω or lower, and is in a floating state.

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, an intermediate transfer belt, a primary transfer roller, a first belt support roller, a secondary transfer roller, a second belt support roller, a current feeder, a controller, a current sensor, and a rectifier. The current sensor has a lead member. The rectifier shuts off a current passing from the second belt support roller to the ground if the voltage on the second belt support roller is less than a predetermined reference voltage. The controller controls the output current such that the secondary transfer current has a current value resulting from subtracting a leak current from the output current and, when the lead member is in a conducting state, keeps the voltage on the second belt support roller less than the reference voltage.

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, an intermediate transfer belt, a primary transfer roller, a first belt support roller, a secondary transfer roller, a second belt support roller, a current output portion, a current sensing portion, and a control portion. The current output portion passes across the secondary transfer roller a secondary transfer current as part of an output current. The current output portion and the second belt support roller are electrically connected together. The current sensing portion senses a leakage current passing from the first belt support roller via the intermediate transfer belt to the second belt support roller. The control portion sets the output current such that the secondary transfer current has a value given by subtracting a leakage current from the output current and keeps the voltage on the second belt support roller between −50 V and 50 V, inclusive.

A processor causes a printing portion to execute, when first conveying processing is executed, test print processing for executing processing of forming a plurality of test toner images on a sheet under a print condition that differs for each of the plurality of test toner images. The processor acquires a plurality of first sensing densities when the first conveying processing is executed. The processor causes the printing portion to execute the test print processing when second conveying processing is executed. The processor acquires a plurality of second sensing densities when the second conveying processing is executed. The processor compares the plurality of first sensing densities and the plurality of second sensing densities to adjust the print condition in the print processing when the second conveying processing is executed.

Adjustment method for image forming apparatus, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a developing current detecting portion, a control portion, and a deviation detecting portion. The developing current detecting portion detects a developing current that flows between a developing device and a photoconductor drum during development of an electrostatic latent image. The control portion causes the exposure device to form electrostatic latent images of at least two patch images at different positions from each other and at different timings from each other in a main scanning direction. The deviation detecting portion detects deviation of one of the exposure device and the photoconductor drum with respect to the other based on a detection timing at which the developing current is detected during development of the electrostatic latent images of the at least two patch images.

Image forming apparatus capable of detecting deviation between exposure device and photoconductor drum

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a first acquisition processing portion, a second acquisition processing portion, and an adjustment processing portion. The image forming portion forms an image on a sheet. The first acquisition processing portion acquires a captured image of the sheet. The second acquisition processing portion acquires a specific value that indicates a difference between a gradation value of a pixel that, among pixels included in the captured image acquired by the first acquisition processing portion, corresponds to a higher part of an outer surface of the sheet, and a gradation value of a pixel that, among the pixels included in the captured image, corresponds to a lower part that is lower than the higher part. The adjustment processing portion adjusts an image forming condition of the image forming portion based on the specific value acquired by the second acquisition processing portion.

Image forming apparatus capable of forming image on sheet with uneven surface, image forming condition adjustment method

An image forming apparatus includes a transfer processing portion, a detection processing portion, a correction processing portion, and an adjustment processing portion. The transfer processing portion transfers a detection toner image to outside an output area of a transfer object to which a toner image as an output target is transferred from an image-carrying member. The detection processing portion detects a density of the detection toner image that has been transferred to the transfer object by the transfer processing portion. The correction processing portion corrects a detection result of the detection processing portion based on an amount of toner transferred from the image-carrying member to the output area at a transfer timing when the detection toner image is transferred. The adjustment processing portion adjusts an image forming condition based on the detection result after correction by the correction processing portion.

Image forming apparatus capable of adjusting image forming condition accurately, and image forming condition adjustment method

An image forming apparatus of the present disclosure includes a plurality of image forming portions, an intermediate transfer unit, a secondary transfer member, a belt cleaning device, and a control portion. The intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of primary transfer members, a drive roller, a tension roller, and a contacting/separating mechanism. The belt cleaning device includes a cleaning member which faces the tension roller with the intermediate transfer belt therebetween. In a withdrawal mode, the cleaning member is moved by pressing force of the tension roller further into a housing from an opening portion as compared with in a printing mode. The control portion is capable of executing, while image formation is not being performed, a transfer toner collection mode in which the intermediate transfer belt and the belt cleaning device are driven in the withdrawal mode.

Image forming apparatus including cleaning member to remove residual toner remaining on surface of intermediate transfer belt

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a rotating brush, a collecting roller, a cleaning blade, a sealing member and a side sealing member. The sealing member has an extension part extending outside from each end of the collecting roller in an axial direction. The sealing member comes into contact with the collecting roller between a contact area between the rotating brush and the collecting roller and the cleaning blade and then prevents backflow of the residue. The side sealing member lifts the extension part toward the collecting roller on an outside at a predetermined interval from a position corresponding to each side edge of a maximum-width sheet passing region on the image carrier.

Image forming apparatus having a cleaning device for an image carrier

Disclosed are image forming apparatus [] which comprises removing a toner remained on the surface of the rotatable image carrier by cleaning means after going through developing means and transferring means; said cleaning means has an elastic blade and is contacted with the surface of the image carrier at a contact pressure within 8 to 20 g/cm, and a press-contact angle of the elastic blade of 12 to 30&#xb0;; and said image carrier is an organic photosensitive material having a photosensitive layer made of a binder resin containing an electric charge generating material and an electric charge transferring material; and image forming apparatus [], comprising a single-layer type photosensitive layer made of a binder resin containing an electric charge generating material, an electron transferring material and a hole transferring material, and the solid content of the binder resin is within 50 to 70 wt % of the whole solid content in the photosensitive layer and, a pair of paper transporting rollers are arranged on a path for transporting a transfer paper from paper feeding portion to transferring means, and a paper transporting roller at the side of the surface to be transferred among a pair of paper transporting rollers has cleaning means at the side of the surface to be transferred from the roller.

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Osaka, Japan

Keisuke Oba