Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Youji Serizawa

Makoto Takeuchi

Junichi Kato

Seiji Uchiyama

Yukihide Ushio

Akio Noguchi

Kazurou Yamada

Shinpei Matsuo

In a laser beam printer, automatic optical quantity (APC) control is performed based on an optical quantity detection output to generate a laser beam having a predetermined quantity of light. In each scanning cycle, APC is effected by utilizing a period (unblanking period) in which the laser device is forcibly actuated to generate a horizontal synchronization signal. The unblanking period may be changed according to the print paper size or image formation/non-image-formation periods. Also, light quantity control may be effected through a plurality of scanning cycles before image formation and may be effected by utilizing the unblanking period during the period corresponding to the intervals of print sheets. Techniques also provided to prevent a transfer unit from being contaminated by toner images formed as a byproduct of APC.

Image recording apparatus using optical beam for applying a transfer

Image recording apparatus using optical beam

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Yokohama, Japan

Youji Serizawa