Konica Minolta, Inc.

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Tomohisa Yoshida

Wataru Onoda

Kanji Nakayama

Noboru Ito

Masayasu Haga

Masanori Kawada

Narutaka Yoshida

Tsugihito Yoshiyama

Yoshiki Nakane

Yohei Ito

Junji Murauchi

Hidetoshi Noguchi

Kazutoshi Kobayashi

Hiroaki Takada

Tomohiro Kato

Dai Suwama

Kazuya Kitamura

Yoshiyuki Iguchi

Ryohei Matsuo

Morio Osada

Tetsuo Sano

An image forming apparatus includes: a printing part including: an image carrier on a surface of which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image to generate a toner image; a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a paper sheet; a fixing device that fixes the toner image; and a cleaner that removes toner remaining on the image carrier; a selection part that allows a user to select one of a plurality of automatic detection modes; a paper conveying part including: a paper feeder that supplies the paper sheet; a conveying roller that conveys the paper sheet; and a timing roller that supplies the paper sheet to a transfer position; a detector that detects a characteristic of the paper sheet; and a hardware processor that detects a paper type category, and controls the printing part under image forming conditions.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms an image by an electrophotographic method, wherein the image forming device includes the photosensitive body on which two or more layers are laminated, and further includes a hardware processor that predicts a degree of consumption of a photosensitive body, and the hardware processor specifies timing when a layer begins to lie on an outermost side, the layer being one of the two or more layers and lying on the outermost side at time of predicting the degree of consumption, and uses an electrical characteristic of the image forming device after the timing specified, to predict the degree of consumption of the photosensitive body.

Image forming apparatus which predicts a degree of consumption of a photosensitive body

An image forming apparatus having: an image supporting member; an electrostatic latent image forming section; and a developing device. In the developing device, a supply member receives toner, polish and antifriction at a supply part. The supply member supplies the toner, the polish and the antifriction to a developing roller while conveying the toner, the polish and the antifriction in a predetermined direction along a rotation axis of the image supporting member. A developing roller develops an electrostatic latent image by supplying the toner, the polish and the antifriction to the image supporting member. A toner patch is formed on the image supporting member, in a facing area capable of facing the developing roller, such that the amount of toner adhering to the image supporting member decreases with increasing distance in the predetermined direction from the supply part. A cleaner removes the toner patch from the image supporting member.

Image forming apparatus with a controller for forming a toner patch

A method applicable to an image forming apparatus with a lubricant to be applied to a surface of a photoreceptor for measuring surface roughness of the surface of the photoreceptor after lubricant application, the method including: a first step of measuring a surface profile of the photoreceptor and obtaining first data indicating the surface profile; a second step of generating second data on the basis of the first data, the second data indicating arithmetic mean roughness Ra within a predetermined range; and a third step of calculating a difference value &#x394;Ra between second data before lubricant application and second data after lubricant application obtained by performing the first and second steps both before and after the lubricant is applied to the photoreceptor.

Method for measuring lubricant-induced surface roughness and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a rotative image carrier and transferring the image onto an object, including: a cleaning unit removing a residual material from the image carrier; and a lubricant applying unit applying lubricant to a circumferential surface of the image carrier, the lubricant applying unit including: a rotative transporter picking up and retaining lubricant, transporting the lubricant to a lubricant application point, and supplying a portion of the lubricant to the image carrier at the lubricant application point; an ejector causing the transporter to eject a portion of the lubricant retained by the transporter; a collector collecting the portion of the lubricant ejected from the transporter; and a controller controlling ejection of the portion of the lubricant so as to maintain the amount of the lubricant retained by the transporter as no greater than a predetermined upper limit.

Image forming apparatus and lubricant application method

An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor rotatable about an axis, and having a surface with a photosensitive layer abraded during use, a charging unit configured to charge the surface of the photoreceptor, an exposure unit configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor, a developing unit configured to form a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor, and a control unit configured to obtain a film thickness of the photosensitive layer for each of a plurality of different positions in a direction of a rotation axis of the photoreceptor, and perform abrasion operation at a first or second position of the plurality of positions, when a difference in film thickness between the first position and the second position exceeds a predetermined reference value.

A developing device having: a guide member creating a guide channel for guiding the developer being fed thereto while being supported on the developer support; and a regulating member regulating the amount of the developer that has passed through the guide channel, the guide member further creates a reflux channel in a gap from an inner surface of the housing, the reflux channel is connected to the guide channel via a communication channel such that the developer regulated by the regulating member returns toward an upstream end of the guide member, the upstream end of the guide member is disposed in a position opposed to the position where the magnetic flux density of the catch pole peaks, and the magnet assembly further includes a feeding pole that is disposed downstream of the catch pole and upstream of the developing pole, so as to be opposed to the guide channel.

Developing device and image forming apparatus including same

An image forming apparatus, wherein the packing density at a closest point where the first peripheral surface and the second peripheral surface are the closest to each other is within a range from 0.3 to 0.4; wherein a maximum magnetic flux density of a principal magnetic pole for generating the magnetic field for development is located in an upstream side from the closest point with respect to the specified direction and at a point where the packing density is equal to or greater than 0.2; and wherein a magnetic flux density of the principal magnetic pole at a point where the packing density is 0.2 in a downstream side from the closest point with respect to the specified direction is equal to or less than &#xbd; of a magnetic flux density of the principal magnetic pole at a point where the packing density is 0.2 in the upstream side.

An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a print medium with a developer composed of toner and carriers, wherein when the first distance is longer than the second distance, an average gap between the first peripheral surface and a member that faces to the first peripheral surface in an area with a length of the first distance extending upstream from the closest point with respect to the specified direction is smaller than an average gap between the first peripheral surface and a member that faces to the first peripheral surface in an area with a length of the first distance extending downstream from the closest point with respect to the specified direction.

A two-component developing device using a developer containing toner and magnetic carrier particles. The developing device comprises a housing, a developing roller, a magnetic field generator mounted inside the developing roller, and a developer restricting member, and further comprises a developer guide member providing a developer guide path for guiding the developer to the developer amount restricting clearance, providing a developer circulation path for circulating the developer to an upstream end of the guide member, and providing a communication path for bringing the developer guide path into communication with the developer circulation path, an upstream end of the guide member being positioned above the position of a peak of magnetic flux density of the magnetic pole of the magnetic field generator which is closest to a low-magnetic force area downstream of the low-magnetic force area or positioned upstream of such a position and downstream of the low-magnetic force area. An image forming device in which such a two-component developing device is employed as at least one developing device.

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Toyokawa, Japan

Tomohisa Yoshida