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:
Dec. 14, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 21, 1997
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus is provided with a photosensitive drum on whose surface a toner image is formed, and image formation is carried out by transferring the toner image onto a transfer material such as paper or OHP sheet which is caused to electrostatically adhere to a surface of a transfer drum while being guided to the photosensitive drum. Alternatively, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum may be once transferred onto an intermediate transfer drum, then transferred from the intermediate transfer drum onto the transfer material. In the image forming apparatus, a light projecting device for projecting light onto the photosensitive drum is provided on an upstream side to a toner image transfer position and on a downstream side to a development position on the photosensitive drum. Execution and suspension of the light projecting operation of the light projecting device is controlled depending on a toner type.