Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Ryo Hanashi

Taisuke Matsuura

Jun Tomine

Kota Arimoto

Hiroaki Tomiyasu

Masahiro Komoto

Yoshio Mizuno

Atsushi Chaki

Kazukiyo Akashi

Shinya Suzuki

Tomohisa Itagaki

Hiroya Hirose

Takashi Suganuma

Koto Arimoto

An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image based on image data onto a recording medium, a fixing device configured to thermally fix the toner image transferred onto the recording medium, a stack tray configured to stack a recording medium conveyed from the fixing device, and a controller configured to calculate based on the image data an amount of a toner on a top surface of the recording media stacked on the stack tray and an amount of a toner on a bottom surface of the recording media to be subsequently conveyed and discharged onto the stack tray and to control a recording medium discharge interval based on a result of calculating the amounts of the toners.

Image forming apparatus which prevents toner images from sticking to each other

An image forming apparatus includes a belt; a plurality of rollers for stretching the belt; a mechanism for generating a force, at an end portion of the belt, in a direction in which lateral deviation of the belt is corrected; a forming device for forming a toner image on the belt; a first sensor capable of detecting a density of the toner image formed on the belt on one end side of the belt; a second sensor capable of detecting the density of the toner image formed on the belt on the other end side of the belt; and a control device for selecting one of the first and second sensors which provides smaller variation in a result of detection when the belt is free from the toner image, and for controlling an image forming condition of the forming device on the basis of a detection result of the density of the toner image by the selected sensor.

Image forming apparatus including two sensors for detecting toner image density

An image forming apparatus that is capable of carrying out processes such as an image forming process in an efficient manner while reducing downtime. Laser beam is emitted onto an intermediate transfer belt. The light intensities of light scattered from the laser beam reflected by at least a part of the surface of the intermediate transfer belt are detected, and light intensity distribution information on the distribution of the detected light intensities are acquired. Phase information on phases on the intermediate transfer belt is acquired based on the light intensity distribution information. An image forming process in which an image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt is carried out in synchronization with a predetermined phase included in the acquired phase information.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method for detecting light intensities

An image heating apparatus including: an image heating member for heating an image formed on a sheet at a nip portion; a temperature detector for detecting temperature of a predetermined region of the image heating member; a cooler for cooling the predetermined region; and an activating device for activating the cooler to perform a cooling operation in accordance with an output of the temperature detector, wherein the apparatus has a first mode of stopping a cooling operation in accordance with an output of the temperature detector; and a second mode of stopping the cooling operation in accordance with an end of image heating processing irrespective of the output of the temperature detecting device. The image heating apparatus is capable of suppressing unnecessary energy consumption, and of eliminating uneven glossiness due to a reduced temperature region at a boundary between a sheet passing portion and a non-sheet passing portion.

Image heating apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a drum; a charging member; a charging bias applying device; an image forming device; a detecting device for detecting a current passing between the charging member and the drum; an executing device for selectively executing a first mode in which the charging bias of a first frequency is applied to form the image on the drum rotated at a first speed and a second mode in which the charging bias of a second frequency is applied to form the image on the drum rotated at a second speed; a calculating device for calculating information indicating a relationship between an output of the detecting device when the AC voltage of the first frequency is applied and an output of the detecting device when the AC voltage of the second frequency is applied; and an adjusting device for adjusting a peak-to-peak voltage to be applied to the charging member in the first mode based on the output of the detecting device obtained by applying the AC voltage of the first frequency to the charging member and for adjusting a peak-to-peak voltage to be applied to the charging member in the second mode based on the output of the detecting device obtained by applying the AC voltage of the first frequency to the charging member and the information calculated by the calculating device.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus capable of preventing toner fusion between recording sheets, with a construction that does not require increase in cost and size of the apparatus and does not unduly lower productivity, to thereby offer high usability. For image formation on plural pieces of recording sheets, a CPU controls a recording sheet conveyance interval for a first set based on a detected amount of toner used for the image formation on each page, stores the toner use amounts for respective pages of the first set into a RAM, and controls the recording sheet conveyance interval for second and subsequent sets based on the toner use amount stored in the RAM for each page.

An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotary member, which heats an image on a recording material at a nip portion, an air blowing device for blowing air toward an air blowing port to cool a predetermined area of the heating rotary member, a shutter, which opens and closes the air blowing port, and a determination device. The determination device determines an execution of an operation of the air blowing device with the shutter opened after a first job is completed, in accordance with a size of a recording material in a width direction perpendicular to a recording material transport direction in a second job for supplying a recording material, between an execution termination of the first job for continuously supplying recording materials having a size smaller than a predetermined size in the width direction, while operating the air blowing device, and a start of a recording material supply of the second job, in a case that the second job is executed subsequent to the termination of the first job.

An image forming apparatus capable of preventing toner fusion between recording sheets to thereby offer high usability, with a construction that does not cause increase in cost and size of the apparatus and an undue reduction in productivity. In the image forming apparatus, a toner use amount in a partial region of an toner image transferred from an intermediate transfer belt to a recording sheet is detected. When it is determined that the toner use amount detected for the partial region is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, a recording sheet conveyance interval is widened.

Image forming apparatus with toner fusion preventing feature for preventing toner fusion between recording sheets

An image heating apparatus including: an image heating member, which heats an image on a recording material in a nip portion; an air blower, which blows air toward an air blowing port to cool a predetermined area of the image heating member; and a shutter, which opens and closes the air blowing port, in which the shutter is kept at a closed position when a temperature of the predetermined area of the image heating member is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, whereby a temperature rise in a non-sheet passing portion can be efficiently reduced by using the small air blower without lowering the productivity when small-size recording materials are continuously passed nor reducing the lifetime of the air blower.

Image heating apparatus with shutter control based on temperature

An image heating apparatus including: a heating rotary member, which heats an image on a recording material in a nip portion; an air blowing unit, which blows air toward an air blowing port to cool a predetermined area of the heating rotary member; and a shutter, which opens and closes the air blowing port, wherein a cooling operation can be performed continuously with the shutter opened after image heating processing is completed, whereby a downtime required for making the temperature distribution over the entire heating area uniform after the continuous sheet supply of small-size recording materials is reduced remarkably.

Image heating apparatus with cooling operation related to recording material and detected temperature

A support member for supporting a cleaning blade of an upstream side is arranged between a charging roller of an image forming unit of the upstream side and a developing sleeve of an image forming unit of a downstream side. The support member is formed using a conductive member (metallic plate), is arranged to completely go across a tangent between the charging roller and the developing sleeve, and is grounded. Even when a developing bias is applied to the developing sleeve during application of a charging bias to the charging roller, the support member can function as a shielding member to prevent noise in the charging bias, which makes it possible to reduce a distance between the image forming units.

Image forming apparatus featuring a cleaning device including a conductive support member provided so as to intersect a line segment connected between rotational centers of a charge member of a first image forming unit and a developing member of a second image forming unit

An image reading apparatus has a placing member where an original is placed, a reading unit for reading an image of the original in a way that moves relatively to the placing member, and a press member for pressing the reading unit against the placing member. The reading unit includes a conductive abutting portion coming into a contact with the placing member, and a grounding member for grounding the conductive abutting portion.

Image reading apparatus including reading unit having conductive abutting portion

A method for measuring an amount of toner on a recording medium that can accurately measure the toner amount. Information on the recording medium to which the toner is fixed is acquired. The toner fixed to the recording medium is irradiated with laser light. A light intensity distribution of reflected light of the laser light is detected. The amount of the toner on the recording medium is calculated on the basis of the acquired recording medium information and the detected light intensity distribution.

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Moriya, Japan

Ryo Hanashi