Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Sharp Kabushiki Kaishi

Yasuhiro Nishimura

Toshiaki Ino

Kiyofumi Morimoto

Mitsuru Tokuyama

Takashi Kitagawa

Hiroo Naoi

Tohru Sakuwa

Shinya Mimura

Katsuya Takano

Masaki Ueji

Susumu Murakami

Syouichi Fujita

Hideji Saikoh

Akiko Tsuji

Masahiro Seki

An image forming device is provided that more effectively reduces changes in the image density caused by reductions in the charged potential immediately after the application of charge to a photosensitive body, including: a photosensitive body; a charger that charges the photosensitive body; a charged potential fluctuation prediction unit that predicts an amount of fluctuation in a charged potential of the photosensitive body; an optical scanning device that irradiates the photosensitive body with an exposure laser and forms an electrostatic latent image; a development device that develops the electrostatic latent image; and an exposure laser output correction unit that corrects an output of the exposure laser. The charged potential fluctuation prediction unit predicts an amount of fluctuation in the charged potential from a charging stop time, and the exposure laser output correction unit reduces a change in density of the image caused by a fluctuation in the charged potential.

Image forming device, image density stabilization control method, and recording medium

In an image forming apparatus, a cleaning portion has a discharge pipe that guides toner that has been collected from a peripheral surface of a photoreceptor drum as waste toner to the outside of a process unit. The discharge pipe is drawn from a side surface of the process unit and includes at a tip portion a discharge port that discharges the waste toner. A restricting portion is arranged on a side surface of the discharge pipe, between a position corresponding to an insertion port and the discharge port, and restricts a flow of air moving from the discharge port to the insertion port. The insertion port is provided on a same surface as the side surface of the process unit from which the discharge pipe is drawn. And the insertion port is configured to be inserted by a cleaning tool for the electrode.

Image forming apparatus capable of preventing waste toner from entering into processing unit

An image forming apparatus that includes a charger for charging a surface of a photoreceptor and that forms an image by using an electrophotographic system, the charger being configured to be cleanable, includes a guidance notification unit that causes a guidance notification prompting cleaning of the charger to be displayed and a guidance notification determination unit that, in accordance with a threshold set in accordance with usage condition of the image forming apparatus, determines whether or not to cause the guidance notification to be displayed.

Image forming apparatus including displayed notification to prompt cleaning of charger and storage medium

To provide a charging device which can be reduced in size and increased in speed while suppressing the occurrence of charging irregularities on the surface of the photosensitive drum, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus. A charging deviceY which charges a surface of a photosensitive drumY, comprises a discharge electrodewhich applies a potential to the surface of the photosensitive drumY and charges the surface, and a grid electrodewith a porous place shape disposed between the discharge electrodeand the surface of the photosensitive drumY so as to face the surface of the photosensitive drumY and which controls the charging potential of the surface, wherein the grid electrodeis divided into a plurality of regions approximately parallel to a direction orthogonal to a direction of rotation of the photosensitive drumY, and the plurality of regions is characterized in that an opening ratio of a midstream regionclose to the photosensitive drumY is greater than an opening ratios of an upstream regionand a downstream region

Charging device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus

Disclosed is a corona charging apparatus for electrically charging a surface of an image bearing member to which the corona charging apparatus faces and which is rotatably provided in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the corona charging apparatus including: a discharging electrode; a shield case that covers the discharging electrode, the shield case being opened at least in a region where the discharging electrode and the image bearing member face each other; and a sheet-like member being made from aluminum and being attached to a first surface of the shield case which first surface faces the discharging electrode.

Charging apparatus and image forming apparatus including same

A charging device is provided. A charging device includes a charging section and a discharge product adsorption removal section. The charging section includes a shield case having a shield opening, a discharge electrode, and a rotation shaft which is parallel to a rotation axis of a photoreceptor. The discharge product adsorption removal section has an adsorption layer that adsorbs a discharge product and is disposed downward in a vertical direction of the photoreceptor. The charging section is displaceable about an axial line of the rotation shaft from a position where the shield opening opposes to the photoreceptor to a position where the shield opening opposes to the discharge product adsorption removal section.

Charging device and image forming apparatus

To a toner used in an image forming apparatus is added an external additive whose main components are oxide fine particles in which dimethylsilyl groups are introduced to surfaces thereof, and whose volatilizing amount of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane in a first volatilizing test is 0.2 &#x3bc;g or less. Consequently, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from attaching to a discharging electrode included in the image forming apparatus. The first volatilizing test is performed in such a manner that 2 g of the external additive is put in a sealing container and the inside of the sealing container is kept at 120&#xb0; C. for 10 minutes so that octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane volatilizes from the external additive.

External additive, toner, and image forming apparatus

In a toner supply container, an air blowing mechanism includes an air blowing fan, an air blowing tube, and an air inlet coupling member. The air inlet coupling member is in close contact with a side wall of the toner container around an air inlet, and includes a skirt made of elastic silicone rubber that covers a joint part of the air blowing tube and the air inlet. An exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust outlet coupling member, an exhaust tube, and an air cleaning filter. The exhaust outlet coupling member is in close contact with an upper wall of the toner container around an exhaust outlet, and includes a skirt made of elastic silicone rubber that covers a joint part of the exhaust tube and the air outlet.

Image forming apparatus and toner supply container used therefor

An image forming apparatus including: an image forming section for forming an image, the image forming section including a photoconductor, a charging unit, a developing unit, a toner supply unit which supplies a toner to said developing unit, and a developing bias power supply section which supplies a developing bias voltage to said developing unit; and a controller that activates said image forming section, determines a target value of a charging potential of said photoconductor and/or a developing bias voltage, for forming the image, and controls the charging unit and/or the developing bias power supply section in accordance with a determined result, wherein when an absolute value of the determined target value of the charging potential or an absolute value of the determined developing bias voltage is larger than a prescribed value, said controller controls replacement of a prescribed amount of a toner in the developing unit.

Image forming apparatus with variable photoconductor charging and variable developing bias voltage

A charging apparatus having a corona electrode is provided which exhibits high durability against ozone and moisture in the air, which can charge a surface of a photoreceptor drum stably throughout the life of an image forming apparatus, and which can be manufactured at a low cost. In a charging apparatus including corona electrode having a flat plate section and a pointed projection section, a support member, a shield case, and a grid electrode, a coating layer including a material different from the material of the corona electrode is formed at least on part of the surface of pointed projections constituting the pointed projection section.

Charging apparatus and image forming apparatus

The image forming apparatus according to the present invention carries out intake and exhaust so as to generate air flow between a photoconductor drum and a charger in a long side direction of the charger. As a result, it is possible to always exhaust O, NOx, and the like caused by corona discharge. Therefore, it is possible to always form a high-quality image without deterioration of images caused by charge unevenness.

Image forming apparatus including a charger and intake/exhaust

In an optical discharge apparatus used in an electrographic image forming apparatus, by forming, on a light guiding member, a diffusing reflecting face for reflecting light from an LED lamp towards a photosensitive drum, and by supplementing the amount of light by altering the height of the diffusing reflecting face to the light emitting face and the width of the diffusing reflecting face in accordance with their distance from the light source, the light intensity distribution of the irradiating light that is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum is made uniform. An optical discharge apparatus may include a light guiding member arranged facing a photoreceptor; and a light source, a diffusing reflecting face for reflecting the light from the light source toward the photoreceptor is formed on the light guiding member, and a reflecting member is arranged on an upper face in the vicinity of an end portion of the light guiding member.

Optical discharge apparatus and image forming apparatus containing the same

An image forming apparatus is arranged such that one reference test pattern image expressed in a tone expression is formed on the predetermined image bearing member, the tone expression being different from a tone expression of an image formed in the print modes that carry out a normal print process, and density of the formed reference test pattern image is detected, and subsequently sets of density correction data for the print modes are created based upon the detected density.

Image forming apparatus and density correction data creation method used therein

One embodiment of an image correction method is an image correction method for correcting image forming condition(s). The image correction method includes forming, on photoreceptor(s), correction test pattern(s) having continuously varying toner gradation; wherein a single correction test pattern in which density is varied in sequence from high to low in paper transport direction(s) is formed as a result of controlling exposing unit laser power(s) while photoreceptor charging potential(s) is/are held constant, or while develop bias(es) is/are held constant, or while photoreceptor charging potential(s) is/are held constant and develop bias(es) is/are held constant. In such case, total length(s) in paper transport direction(s) of such correction test pattern(s) is/are less than or equal to circumference(s) of photoreceptor(s).

Growing community of inventors

Takaishi, Japan

Yasuhiro Nishimura