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US4432634A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electrophotographic copying apparatus

Assignee: Minolta Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1981-10-02
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Granted: 1984-02-21
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Expires: 2001-10-02
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Abstract

Abstract An electrophotographic copying apparatus which is capable of controlling copied image density under the state where the density variation of the line image and that of the solid image are generally kept constant, with a simultaneous increase of the amount of density variation for the line image.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kenji Tabuchi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 08:00
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/02; G03G15/0266; G03G15/06; G03G15/065

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 276 words
An electrophotographic copying apparatus which comprises: a photosensitive member having a photosensitive surface; means for uniformly charging the photosensitive surface of said photosensitive member to a charged potential; an adjustable electric power supplying means connected to said charging means for supplying electric power to said charging means; means for projecting light onto the photosensitive surface to form an electrostatic latent image on said photosensitive surface; means having a developing electrode for reversal development of said electrostatic latent image; an adjustable developing bias potential applying means connected to said developing electrode for applying a developing bias potential to said developing electrode which is different from said charge potential; image intensity varying means connected to said electric power supplying means and to said developing bias potential applying means for adjusting at least one of the electric power supplying means and said developing bias potential applying means for varying the intensity of said image; and control means to which said image intensity varying means is connected and connected to said electric power supplying means and to said developing bias potential applying means for controlling at least the other of said electric power supplying means and said developing bias potential applying means for maintaining an approximately constant absolute value of voltage difference between said charge potential and said developing bias potential in response to an adjustment of at least one of the electric power supplying means and said developing bias potential applying means, whereby the shape of the density variation characteristic curve of the line portions of the image and the shape of the density variation characteristic curve of the solid portions of the image are kept substantially the same.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 276 words
An electrophotographic copying apparatus which comprises: a photosensitive member having a photosensitive surface; means for uniformly charging the photosensitive surface of said photosensitive member to a charged potential; an adjustable electric power supplying means connected to said charging means for supplying electric power to said charging means; means for projecting light onto the photosensitive surface to form an electrostatic latent image on said photosensitive surface; means having a developing electrode for reversal development of said electrostatic latent image; an adjustable developing bias potential applying means connected to said developing electrode for applying a developing bias potential to said developing electrode which is different from said charge potential; image intensity varying means connected to said electric power supplying means and to said developing bias potential applying means for adjusting at least one of the electric power supplying means and said developing bias potential applying means for varying the intensity of said image; and control means to which said image intensity varying means is connected and connected to said electric power supplying means and to said developing bias potential applying means for controlling at least the other of said electric power supplying means and said developing bias potential applying means for maintaining an approximately constant absolute value of voltage difference between said charge potential and said developing bias potential in response to an adjustment of at least one of the electric power supplying means and said developing bias potential applying means, whereby the shape of the density variation characteristic curve of the line portions of the image and the shape of the density variation characteristic curve of the solid portions of the image are kept substantially the same.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 74 words
An electrophotographic copying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means comprises means for controlling the charged potential and said developing bias potential in relation to each for increasing the absolute value of the difference between said charged potential and said developing bias potential to a predetermined slight extent when said one of said electric power supplying means and said developing bias potential applying means is adjusted to increase the potential thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 30 words
An electrophotographic copying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means comprises means for maintaining a substantially constant difference between said charged potential and said developing bias potential.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 37 words
An electrophotographic copying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means includes means for detecting said charged potential and for controlling said developing bias potential in response to the detected value of the charged potential.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3762811A Cited
US3788739A Cited
US4248524A Cited
US4256401A Cited
US4348099A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-02-20 1987-08-22 1988-02-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-02-20 1991-08-22 1992-02-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-02-20 1995-08-22 1996-02-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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