EP0276107A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image forming apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1988-01-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-01-18
Abstract
Abstract An electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which the image forming conditions, for example exposure conditions, are regulated according to the ambient conditions, such as humidity, detected by suitable sensors, to achieve stable image formation. Exposure regulation is achieved, for example, by switching the drive current of a laser element.
Inventors
- 👤 Kimiyoshi Hayashi
- 👤 Kenichi Suda
- 👤 Kazuhiko Hirooka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 19:15
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/50; G03G15/5033; G03G15/5037; G03G15/02; G03G15/0266; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/23; H04N1/29; H04N1/295; H04N1/40; H04N1/40025; H04N1/40037; H04N1/4005; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/00025; G03G2215/00029; G03G2215/00033; G03G2215/00054; G03G2215/00071; G03G2215/00084
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 50
Claim 1
Independent Claim
55 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming an image on a recording member, comprising exposure means for exposing said recording member to light; detector means for detecting circumstantial or ambient conditions; and control means for regulating the amount of light of said exposure means according to the output of said detector means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
55 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming an image on a recording member, comprising exposure means for exposing said recording member to light; detector means for detecting circumstantial or ambient conditions; and control means for regulating the amount of light of said exposure means according to the output of said detector means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detector means is adapted to detect the humidity in said apparatus.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said exposure means comprises a laser element, and said control means is adapted to switch a drive current in said laser element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said control means is adapted, when the humidity detected by said detector means is lower than a predetermined value, to select an amount of light of said exposure means larger than that when said humidity is higher than said predetermined value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image forming means is adapted to modulate the drive of said laser element according to image data.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image forming means is adapted to compare the analog image data signal with a predetermined analog pattern signal, and to effect pulse width modulation of the driving time of said laser element according to the result of said comparison.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
80 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming an image on a recording member: first detector means for detecting the image forming conditions of said image forming means; second detector means for detecting circumstantial conditions; and control means for selecting a reference value for optimizing the image forming conditions in response to the output of said second detector means, and optimizing the image forming conditions according to the output of said first detector means and said reference value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
80 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming an image on a recording member: first detector means for detecting the image forming conditions of said image forming means; second detector means for detecting circumstantial conditions; and control means for selecting a reference value for optimizing the image forming conditions in response to the output of said second detector means, and optimizing the image forming conditions according to the output of said first detector means and said reference value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said image forming means comprises charger means for charging the recording member and exposure means for exposing said recording member to light, and said first detector means is adapted to detect the surface potential of said recording member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control means is adapted to so control said image forming means as to bring the contrast potential of said recording member toward said reference value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said control means is adapted to control said charger means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second detector means is adapted to detect the humidity in said apparatus.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control means is adapted to select different reference values according to the humidity detected by said second detector means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said image forming means comprises exposure means for exposing the recording member to light, and is adapted to switch the amount of light of said exposure means when the selected reference value exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said exposure means comprises a laser element.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
84 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: plural process means for effecting binary digitizing according to image data; image forming means for forming an image on a recording member according to the data released from said process means, comprising exposure means for exposing said recording member to light; switch means for switching the amount of light of said exposure means; and selector means for selecting one of plural process means, corresponding to the switched amount of light, according to the switching operation of said switch means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
84 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: plural process means for effecting binary digitizing according to image data; image forming means for forming an image on a recording member according to the data released from said process means, comprising exposure means for exposing said recording member to light; switch means for switching the amount of light of said exposure means; and selector means for selecting one of plural process means, corresponding to the switched amount of light, according to the switching operation of said switch means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said process means comprises signal generator means for generating a predetermined analog pattern signal, and comparator means for comparing the analog image signal with said analog pattern signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said image forming means is adapted to form a dot image on said recording member by modulating said exposure means according to the output of said comparator means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said signal generator means comprises regulator means for regulating the gain of said analog pattern signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 16 or 18, wherein said signal generator means comprises regulator means for regulating the offset level of said analog pattern signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
40 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said switch means is adapted to detect the ambient conditions in said apparatus and to switch the amount of light of said exposure means according to the value of said detection.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said ambient condition is the condition of humidity.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, 17 or 20, wherein said exposure means comprises a laser element.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
79 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: converter means for converting input digital image data according to conversion information; plural output means for releasing an image signal by selecting thus converted image data; exposure means for forming an image on a recording member according to said image signal; switch means for switching the energy of said exposure means; and selector means for selecting one of said plural output means by switching the energy of said exposure means with said switch means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
79 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: converter means for converting input digital image data according to conversion information; plural output means for releasing an image signal by selecting thus converted image data; exposure means for forming an image on a recording member according to said image signal; switch means for switching the energy of said exposure means; and selector means for selecting one of said plural output means by switching the energy of said exposure means with said switch means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
38 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said switch means comprises monitor means for measuring circumstantial conditions, and is adapted to switch the energy of said exposure means according to the output of said monitor means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
82 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: converter means for converting input digital image data according to conversion information; plural output means for releasing an image signal by applying a predetermined process to a signal corresponding to thus converted image data; exposure means for forming an image on a recording member according to said image signal; selector means for selecting one of said plural output means; and control means for varying said conversion information according to the output means selected by said selector means.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
82 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: converter means for converting input digital image data according to conversion information; plural output means for releasing an image signal by applying a predetermined process to a signal corresponding to thus converted image data; exposure means for forming an image on a recording member according to said image signal; selector means for selecting one of said plural output means; and control means for varying said conversion information according to the output means selected by said selector means.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
40 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said selector means comprises switch means for switching the energy of said exposure means, and is adapted to select said output means in response to the function of said switch means.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
55 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said switch means comprises first detector means for detecting circumstantial conditions and second detector means for detecting the surface potential of said recording member, and is adapted to switch the energy of said exposure means according to the outputs of said first and second detector means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
45 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said output means comprises signal generator means for generating a predetermined analog pattern signal and comparator means for comparing said analog pattern signal with an analog signal corresponding to image data released from said converter means.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
23 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said first detector means is adapted to detect the humidity condition in said apparatus.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said converter means comprises memory means storing said conversion information.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
51 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said control means is adapted to form a predetermined pattern on said recording member by means of selected output means, to detect the surface state corresponding to said pattern, and to vary said conversion information according to the result of said detection.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
67 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: converter means for converting input digital image data according to conversion information; output means for releasing the converted image data as an image signal; exposure means for forming an image on a recording member according to said image signal; switch means for switching the energy of said exposure means; and regulator means for regulating the image signal released from said output means.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
67 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: converter means for converting input digital image data according to conversion information; output means for releasing the converted image data as an image signal; exposure means for forming an image on a recording member according to said image signal; switch means for switching the energy of said exposure means; and regulator means for regulating the image signal released from said output means.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
60 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said output means comprises means for D/A conversion of said converted image data, means for generating an analog reference signal of a predetermined cycle period, and comparator means for comparing an analog image signal released from said D/A converter means with said analog reference signal to generate a pulse-width modulated signal.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
26 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said regulator means is adapted to regulate the gain or offset level of said analog reference signal.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
16 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said exposure means comprises a laser element.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
73 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: converter means for converting input digital image data according to conversion information; output means for releasing an image signal by selecting thus converted image data; exposure means for forming an image on a recording member according to said image signal; monitor means for monitoring tonal data by varying image forming parameters; and control means for varying said conversion information according to tonal data detected by said monitor means.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
73 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: converter means for converting input digital image data according to conversion information; output means for releasing an image signal by selecting thus converted image data; exposure means for forming an image on a recording member according to said image signal; monitor means for monitoring tonal data by varying image forming parameters; and control means for varying said conversion information according to tonal data detected by said monitor means.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
73 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said output means comprises means for D/A conversion of said converted image data; means for generating an analog signal of a predetermined cycle period; reference signal generator means for generating a reference signal for forming said analog signal; and comparator means for comparing an analog image signal released from said D/A converter means with said analog reference signal to generate a pulse-width modulated signal.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
46 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said reference signal generator means is adapted to generate reference signal of different cycle periods for generating said analog signals of different cycle period, and said image forming parameter is the cycle period of said reference signal.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
32 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising switch means for switching the energy of said exposure means, wherein said image forming parameter is the energy of said exposure means.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
61 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said control means comprises detector means for detecting the surface potential of said recording member, and is adapted to form a predetermined pattern on said recording member according to a selected image forming parameter, and to detect the surface potential of said pattern by said detector means thereby obtaining said tonal data.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
20 words
An image forming apparatus according to one of claims 36 to 40, wherein said exposure means comprises a laser element.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
18 words
An image forming apparatus comprising means for compensating for time dependent and/or ambient variations in the operation thereof.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
18 words
An image forming apparatus comprising means for compensating for time dependent and/or ambient variations in the operation thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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