Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Masayuki Aratake

Naoya Yamasaki

Shunichiro Shishikura

Shigeru Tsukada

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrying member; a developing unit that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrying member using toner; a toner dispensing unit that dispenses the toner to the developing unit; and a toner dispense control unit that controls the toner dispensing unit in accordance with an operation speed of the developing unit or the image carrying member.

Image forming apparatus with a toner dispensing control unit

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a rotary developing device having N developer carriers, where N defines a total number of developer carriers, the N developer carriers carrying developers to develop the electrostatic latent image, and the rotary developing device moves the N developer carriers to a development position opposite to the image carrier, and a toner concentration sensor that measures toner concentrations of the developers carried in the developer carriers. A measurement position of the toner concentration sensor is set on a second virtual straight line with the second virtual straight line having a first angle or an angle that is double the first angle toward a first virtual straight line on a rotation orbit of the rotary device, and the first virtual straight line connects a rotation center of the rotary developing device and the development position. The N developer carriers are placed in turn in an order starting from a first developer carrier to an N-th developer carrier at the same angular interval as the first angle on the rotation orbit of the rotary developing device, and an angular interval between the N-th developer carrier and the first developer carrier is set to a second angle greater than the first angle.

Image forming apparatus having a toner concentration sensor

An image forming apparatus comprises: a rotary unit having a plurality of development devices provided around a rotary shaft, the development device including a constituent unit, wherein the plurality of the development devices move to a development position where the development devices sequentially oppose an image carrier by rotation of the rotary unit, and the development device in the development position develops an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier,

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a rotary developing device having N developer carriers on a rotation orbit and moving the N developer carriers to a development position opposite to the image carrier, and a toner concentration sensor that measures toner concentrations of the developers. A measurement position of the toner concentration sensor is set on a second virtual straight line having a first angle toward a first virtual straight line that connects a rotation center of the rotary developing device and the development position. The N developer carriers are placed in turn in an order at the same angular interval as the first angle, and an angular interval between the N-th and first developer carriers is set to a second angle greater than the first angle.

An image forming apparatus includes a rotary unit that has a rotary shaft, and a plurality of development devices each of which has a constituent unit, the development devices provided around the rotary shaft; and a plurality of state detection units that detects at least one of states of the development devices and states of the constituent unit; wherein the rotary unit is rotated so that the development devices sequentially pass a development position facing a photosensitive member; wherein when any of the development devices is located at the development position, the development device makes an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member visible; and wherein each of the state detection units detects at least one of the development devices and the states of the constituent unit during a single stop of rotation of the rotary unit.

Image forming apparatus with a plurality of development devices

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; a rotary development unit having a plurality of developer carriers that carry a developer used for developing the electrostatic latent image, the developer including toner, the plurality of the developer carriers being sequentially moved to a development position opposing to the image carrier, to switch a development color; and a toner concentration detection unit that detects the concentration of toner of the developer carried by one of the developer carriers located at the development position.

Image forming apparatus with toner concentration detection unit

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a rotary developing device having N developer carriers on an rotation orbit and moving the N developer carriers to a development position opposite to the image carrier, and a toner concentration sensor that measures toner concentrations of the developers. A measurement position of the toner concentration sensor is set on a second virtual straight line having a first angle toward a first virtual straight line that connects a rotation center of the rotary developing device and the development position. The N developer carriers are placed in turn in an order at the same angular interval as the first angle, and an angular interval between the N-th and first developer carriers is set to a second angle greater than the first angle.

An image forming apparatus includes a rotary unit having a plurality of development devices provided around a rotary shaft, the development device having a constituent unit, wherein: a plurality of the development devices sequentially move to a development position, where the development devices oppose an image carrier by rotation of the rotary unit, and a development device located at the development position develops an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; each of the plurality of development devices has a state detection unit that detects at least one of a state of the development device and a state of a constituent unit of the development device; and the state detection unit of each of the development devices performs state detection when the development device having the state detection unit is located at the development position.

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Ebina, Japan

Masayuki Aratake