Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Satoshi Kanda

Hiroo Kitagawa

Tadao Koike

Kenji Fukumizu

Fumihiko Ishikawa

Takaaki Yanagisawa

Koichi Tsunoda

Tkaaki Yanagisawa

A discomfort index, S, is calculated with an equation, S=0.3135&#xd7;(Loudness value)+3.4824&#xd7;(Tonality value)&#x2212;3.1460. This equation uses a loudness value and a tonality value, both psychoacoustic parameters obtained from a sound from the image forming apparatus at a location 1.00 m&#xb1;0.03 m apart from an end of the image forming apparatus. A sound caused at the time of charging an image carrier is improved so that the discomfort index S satisfies S&#x3c;&#x2212;0.5.

Image forming apparatus and method of evaluating sound quality on image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a mechanism, mounted in the housing, for forming images on a medium, an operation panel formed on the housing, the mechanism being driven in accordance with an operating instruction input from the operation panel by an operator, a microphone, provided in the housing, for detecting a noise generated by a driving of the mechanism, and a noise canceling unit for outputting an acoustic wave to an area adjacent to the operation panel of the housing, the acoustic wave being generated based on the noise detected by the microphone so that the acoustic wave and a noise present in the area cancel out, whereby the noise present in the area is reduced.

Image forming apparatus having system for reducing noise

An image forming apparatus reduces the level of noise escaping therefrom via an opening. The noise is generated from a motor which drives an image forming part in the image forming apparatus, from a radiator fan which radiates heat inside the apparatus to the outside via the opening, and from an exhaust fan which passes harmful air through a filter and then exhausts harmless air to the outside via the opening. The image forming apparatus generates a predetermined sound wave and collides it with the noise so that the predetermined sound wave and noise cancel each other out.

Image forming apparatus which reduces noise generated therefrom

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Satoshi Kanda