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. 21, 1999
Filed:
Aug. 31, 1998
Tadashi Furuya, Susono, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kashia, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member, a charging member, a developer, and an auxiliary member. The charging member contacts the image bearing member to electrically charge the image bearing member. The developer develops, with toner, an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member using a charging operation of the charging member. The developer is capable or removing residual toner from the image bearing member simultaneously with its developing operation for the electrostatic image. The auxiliary member is disposed upstream of the charging position and downstream of a transfer position where the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member onto a transfer material with respect to a movement direction of the image bearing member. The auxiliary member is supplied with a voltage having a polarity opposite from a charge polarity of the charging member or is supplied with OV so that residual toner is charged to the opposite polarity and reaches the charging position. The voltage applied to the auxiliary member is more toward the opposit polarity side when a region of the image bearing member, which is going to be a non-image region, is at a position of the auxiliary member then when a region of the image bearing member, which is going to be an image region, is at the position of the auxiliary member.