Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Masaki Tokuhashi

Kouji Ishigaki

Wataru Yasuda

Moriyuki Koike

Makoto Arai

Hiroshi Ono

Masato Yanagida

Takashi Bisaiji

Chikara Imai

Toshitaka Yamaguchi

Yoshihiro Abe

A cleaning device for an image forming apparatus in which a shock generation device is provided for imparting an impact force to a cleaning blade in an axial direction of a photoconductive member in order to prevent an edge portion of the cleaning blade from accumulating debris such as minute paper powder and toner, and thereby maintain a high quality image. The cleaning device can be controlled so that operation of the shock generation device for providing an impact force to the cleaning blade starts simultaneously as revolution of a photoconductive member starts, such that the foreign materials are effectively removed from a cleaning blade.

Cleaning device for an image forming apparatus

An image density control method for an image forming apparatus of the type forming a latent image of a document image on a photoconductive element and developing the latent image by a toner to produce a toner image by an electrophotographic procedure. A background pattern whose density is substantially the same as the background density of a document, i.e., a light pattern is illuminated to electrostatically form a latent image thereof on the photoconductive element. The latent image is developed by the toner, and the density of the resultant toner image is optically sensed by an image density sensor. A change in background density due to contamination or an increase in background potential, for example, is detected. Based on the detected change in background density, a quantity of light for imagewise exposure or similar factor dictating the developing ability is corrected, i.e., it is controlled to the light side if the density has been shifted to the dark side. The detection of the background density and the control for correction are effected only when the charge retaining ability of the photoconductive element is stable.

Image density control method for an image forming apparatus

An image density control method for an image forming apparatus of the type forming a latent image of a document image on a photoconductive element and developing the latent image to form a toner image by an electrophotographic procedure. A background pattern is implemented as a light pattern having a low density and provided independently of a reference density pattern. The light pattern is illuminated to form a latent image thereof on the photoconductive element, and the latent image is developed by a toner. The density of the resultant toner image is sensed by an image density sensor. Such a procedure allows a change in background density ascribable to contamination, increase in background potential and so forth to be detected. The light pattern may be replaced with a leading edge portion of a document if the leading edge portion has a density corresponding to the background density. Then, the latent image of the background pattern will be formed under exactly the same conditions as the latent image of an ordinary image, i.e., without any limitations as to the position of the pattern.

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Yokohama, Japan

Masaki Tokuhashi