The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 13, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 12, 1998
Yuzuru Nanjo, Osaka, JP;
Ryuji Wataki, Osaka, JP;
Yukihiro Aikawa, Osaka, JP;
Shigeo Fujita, Osaka, JP;
Mita Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka-fu, JP;
Abstract
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus with a transfer unit for transferring toner electrically to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor onto a copy sheet. The image forming apparatus has a transfer electrode charge supply means for supplying electric charges to a transfer electrode provided in the transfer unit to electrically attract the toner onto the copy sheet and control means for controlling the quantity of electric charges to be supplied to the photoreceptor via the transfer electrode from the transfer electrode charge supply means based on a photoreceptor inflow current flowing to the photoreceptor through the charge send/receive means and on a photoreceptor outflow current flowing out from the photoreceptor through a ground wire connecting the photoreceptor and the ground. The charge send/receive means, other than the transfer unit, sends and receives electric charges to and from the photoreceptor. With this arrangement, variation of photoreceptor inflow current due to image density variation of an original document can be controlled to perform a stable image transfer.