Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Nobuyuki Yanagawa

Yoshinobu Takeyama

Masanori Saito

Yasuo Katano

Masanori Saitoh

Hideaki Kibune

Aino Noguchi

Shingo Suzuki

Nekka Matsuura

Tsutomu Watanabe

Kakuji Murakami

Kiyoshi Tanikawa

Masao Hosaka

Tadashi Saito

Tomoko Takahashi

Satoru Tomita

Mitsuo Hasebe

Toshio Kawakubo

Shigeru Suzuki

Yukihiro Ohno

Masahiko Katoh

Kazuaki Tagawa

Toyozi Ishikawa

Akira Imai

Yutaka Koizumi

Hajime Oyama

Koji Sakamoto

Manabu Mochizuki

Katsuo Sakai

Akira Kojima

Yasuhiro Tabata

Kohji Suzuki

Sunao Ikeda

Chikara Imai

Masumi Ikesue

Hideya Furuta

Mitsuo Tanaka

Yasunori Kawaishi

Koji Hirakura

Yoshitaka Ogino

Tadao Koike

Kenichi Mizuma

Tomoyoshi Takeuchi

Yoshiharu Iwanaga

Shinichi Kamiyama

Hirohisa Otsuka

Koichi Hirokawa

Toyoji Ishikawa

Sirou Saeki

Kimio Tanaka

Masatoshi Tanaka

Norio Kawamoto

Exemplary embodiments provide an apparatus, method, system, computer program and product, each capable of controlling a timing for starting image formation such that when forming a preceding image and a following image, a timing for starting formation of the following image is adjusted based on a timing for starting the preceding image.

Controlling timing for starting image formation

Image forming apparatus includes image forming units, an intermediate transfer member, a mark detecting mechanism, a counter, and a controller. The intermediate transfer member have marks. A distance between nth and (n+1)th marks is substantially equal to or smaller than a difference between a distance from a write position of the nth image forming unit to a primary transfer position of the (n+1)th image forming unit and a distance from a write position of the (n+1)th image forming unit to the primary transfer position of the (n+1)th image forming unit. The controller controls the nth image forming unit to start writing when the mark detecting mechanism detects the nth mark and the counter reaches a predetermined count value, and controls the (n+1)th image forming unit to start writing when the mark detecting mechanism detects the (n+1)th mark and the counter reaches another predetermined count value.

Color image forming apparatus capable of effectively matching registration between elementary color images

An image forming apparatus capable of decreasing the image unevenness of a superimposed image at the time of forming starting (head) lines of the images in respective colors with different beams in order to decrease a shift of a superimposed image. Let a position, where an image in a first color is formed with a beam A as a leading beam, be (a). Let a starting position of formation of an image in a second color be (b), and one dot (line) of shift arises in the superimposed image. In order to decrease the shift of the superimposed image, image formation is performed with selecting a beam B as a beam which writes a head of the image (c). When image formation is performed for color shift reduction with changing a leading beam for each color image, tonality correction is performed to each beam for subsequent images so as to decrease image unevenness due to the difference between shapes and exposure power of respective beams.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carrying members and an image carrier. Each of the plurality of image carrying members is configured to form and carry a toner image. The image carrier cassette is configured to be detachably installed to the image forming apparatus and includes an image carrier holder. The image carrier holder is configured to rotatably hold the plurality of image carrying members and to allow each of the plurality of image carrying members to be independently removed therefrom.

Image forming apparatus having a simple cassette of image bearing photoconductors

A disclosed image carrier toner unit includes: an image carrier; a supporting member configured to be integrated with the image carrier, the supporting member supporting the image carrier; and a toner storage unit configured to be integrated with the supporting member, the toner storage unit storing toner for developing a latent image on the image carrier as a visible image, wherein the image carrier toner unit is detachably attached to a device on which the image carrier toner unit is installed.

Image carrier toner unit and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member, a sensor, and two image forming units. Each of the image forming units includes an image carrier, an image writer, two development rollers, and a switcher. The image writer writes an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier. Each of the development rollers selectively driven by the switcher visualizes the electrostatic latent image to form toner images in four colors. The toner images are transferred and superimposed onto the intermediate transfer member to form a color toner image. The color toner image is transferred onto a transfer sheet. One or more marks are formed on the intermediate transfer member. The sensor detects one of the marks. The image writer starts writing in synchronism with a sync clock signal of the image writer output immediately after the sensor detects the mark or output after a predetermined time period elapses after the sensor detects the mark.

Method and apparatus for image forming capable of synthesizing a full color image without causing deviations of color layers

An image forming apparatus including a light scanning device configured: to store in advance a predetermined base correction time; initiate optical image writing for a first round of rotation of an endless intermediate transfer member onto a latent image bearing member included in a first visible image forming unit based on a standard angle detection signal detected after a time Te determined as a time elapsed by a base correction time tfrom a time Ta; to correct a phase, during a period between a time Tc and a time including a time Tc and the base correction time t, based on a time lag dtand a time lag dt; and to initiate optical image writing for a second round of rotation of the endless intermediate transfer member onto the latent image bearing member included in the first visible image forming unit.

Image forming apparatus with improved capability of image superposition

A two-station type color image forming apparatus of the present invention includes intermediate members configured to support only a developing device or the developing device and image forming means other than an image carrier. The intermediate members are selectively locked to or unlocked from the body of the image forming apparatus. Members constituting the image forming means each can be simply replaced alone in accordance with its life.

Cleaning unit with a light beam path for the passage of a light beam

A printer includes laser beam detecting sensors for detecting a laser beams at two positions in the main scanning direction. Write clock generating circuits measure a number of counts of a predetermined clock during a period since one of the laser beam detecting sensors detects each of the beams until another sensor detects the beam. A write clock frequency adjusting circuit takes the number of counts for one laser beam as a reference value and adjusts write clock frequencies of other laser beams so as to coincide with the reference value.

Image forming apparatus, and method of correcting timing for generating laser beams

In a belt apparatus used for image formation structured such that processing unit used for image formation are placed around a belt extended between at least two rollers and at least one of the processing unit acts on a roller so as to impart a rotational load thereto, it is possible to avoid a reduction in the image quality of a transfer image on the belt caused by the roller that supports the belt receiving variations in the load due to the movement towards or away from the belt of a cleaning blade. A drive source is connected to the roller to which directly receiving the load variation making this roller the drive roller for the belt.

Belt apparatus used in image formation, and an image formation apparatus

Two-station type color image forming apparatus with separately replaceable components

An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of components that form image forming means and should be mounted or dismounted in a preselected order. Following one of the components with respect to the preselected order cannot be dismounted from the apparatus until preceding one of the same has been dismounted. The components are mounted to the apparatus in the reverse order. The components unremovable from the apparatus and positioned above the removable components in a preselected dismounting direction are retractable.

Image forming apparatus with components removable in preselected direction and order

An apparatus and method for recording an image using a transfer-type recording mechanism are such that a layer of an intermediate transfer element is removably formed on a surface of an intermediate transfer medium. The intermediate transfer element includes an ultraviolet stabilizer and a powder mixture. The intermediate transfer layer is capable of being dissolved and swelled by applying an ink liquid on the intermediate transfer medium and enables a viscosity of the ink liquid residing thereon to be increased. An image is produced on the intermediate transfer medium by supplying the ink liquid thereon. The image is then transferred to the recording medium, so that a high quality image is produced without any blurring, mixing or penetration of the ink liquid.

Recording method and apparatus with an intermediate transfer medium based on transfer-type recording mechanism

An optical box for positioning and fixing respective optical components is provided and functions as a housing thereof. A support stand for positioning and mounting the respective optical components, respectively, is formed separately from the optical box, and is loaded in the optical box.

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus

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Kanagawa, Japan

Nobuyuki Yanagawa