Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yoshiharu Niito

Kazuyuki Shimada

Takahiro Yagishita

Keiichi Iwasaki

Masayoshi Miyamoto

Hideo Azumai

Yukitoshi Kiya

Tetsuo Sakurai

Syuuichi Yamazaki

Yikitoshi Kiya

There is provided an image recording apparatus able to form images without fluctuation of image dot intervals in the main scan direction. The image recording apparatus comprises a light emitting source including multiple light emitting units emitting laser beams, and a detection unit for detecting the laser beams and measuring intervals of the laser beams in the main scan direction. Based on the measured intervals of the laser beams in the main scan direction, light emission timings of the light emitting units are adjusted so that the intervals between each two image dots on the photoconductor in the main scan direction are not influenced by the interval fluctuation of the laser emitting units.

Image recording apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a light source, a light beam controlling mechanism, a sensor, and a signal controller. The light source emits parallel light beams with an angle smaller than 90&deg; relative to a sub-scanning direction. The light beam controlling mechanism controls a scanning of the light beams. The sensor detects one of the light beams and generates a line synchronous signal. The signal controller delays the data streams and generates PLL clock signals divided into different clock signals having a same frequency and having phases sequentially varied. The signal controller selects one of the different clock signals and drives the light source with the selected clock signal.

Method and apparatus for image forming with multiple laser beams

An image scanner, including an optical image reading unit which reads an image from a document and a carriage which carries the optical image reading unit. Also included is a motor which drives the carriage, and a driver which outputs a sequence of drive signals to drive the motor. Further, a timing of each drive signal of the sequence of drive signals output by the driver is selected in accordance with a desired incremental magnification of the document. In addition, the incremental magnification of the document may be selected in steps of 0.1%.

Apparatus for controlling a scanning speed of an image scanner

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming part for forming an image described by a video signal on a recording sheet by carrying out an image forming operation which includes scans in main and sub scan directions, a storage part for storing test pattern data which describes at least one test pattern to be formed on the recording sheet, a generator for generating a generation interval of the video signal in the main and sub scan directions responsive to the test pattern data stored in the storage part, and a controller for controlling the image forming operation of the image forming part by supplying to the image forming part the video signal which describes an arbitrary test pattern and is generated based on the test pattern data read from the storage part with the generation interval generated by the generator.

Image forming apparatus

A toner end detection apparatus comprises a toner tank which accommodates a toner, a toner detection sensor which has a surface exposed within the toner tank and outputs a detection signal and made up of an ultrasonic sensor which oscillates at a predetermined frequency when no toner is adhered on the surface, a setting part for variably setting a set value, a measuring part for measuring an oscillation time of the toner detection sensor in response to the output detection signal of the toner detection sensor, and a discriminating part for discriminating a toner end based on a comparison of the set value which is set by the setting means and the oscillation time which is measured by the measuring means. The toner accommodated within the toner tank is less than a predetermined quantity when the toner end is detected.

Toner end detection apparatus using ultrasonic sensor

An image recording apparatus includes an image recording media, an optical scanning system selected from among predetermined different optical scanning systems, a first memory for storing a plurality of sets of control data respectively provided for the different optical scanning systems, a switch for specifying one of the predetermined different optical scanning systems provided in the image recording apparatus, and a second memory for storing one of the sets of control data corresponding to the optical scanning system selected from among the predetermined different optical scanning systems. Also, the apparatus includes a main scan controller which generates predetermined timing signals related to the one of the sets of control data stored in the second memory, and a control part for generating a control signal from the one of the sets of control data and the predetermined timing signals and for controlling the optical scanning system on the basis of the control signal so that the optical scanning system actually provided in the image recording apparatus has an optical characteristic based on the one of the sets of control data related to the optical scanning system actually provided in the image recording apparatus.

Recording apparatus having control data selectively designated in memory

An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a laser diode, and an optical scanning system provided between said laser diode and the photosensitive drum, for scanning the recording medium by deflecting the light beam emitted from the laser diode to thereby form an image on the recording medium. The optical scanning system has one of predetermined optical characteristics different from each other. The apparatus further includes a memory which stores a plurality of sets of control data provided for the predetermined optical characteristics of the optical scanning system. The control data is used for controlling the laser diode. Further, the apparatus includes a control data selecting circuit which selects one of the sets of control data which relates to the one of the predetermined optical characteristics of the optical scanning system, and a controller for controlling the laser diode on the basis of image data and the selected one of the sets of control data.

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Yokohama, Japan

Yoshiharu Niito