Method of removing a film from an image carrier of an image forming apparatus

Claim 1

A method of removing a film from an image carrier for an image forming apparatus comprising: said image carrier for forming a toner image thereon during an image forming mode operation; an agent carrier located to face said image carrier for transporting an agent, which is a mixture of carrier and toner and at least partly constituted by a magnetic substance, while retaining said agent on said agent carrier; and regulating means for regulating an amount of said agent to be transported to a region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; said method comprising the steps of: (a) transporting, at a time other than a time when the image forming mode operation is under way, an amount of the agent, great enough to scrape the film off said image carrier, to said region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; (b) reducing, at a time other than a time when the image forming mode of operation is under way, the amount of the agent to be fed to said region to prevent jamming of an operation of one of the image carrier and agent carrier due to an excess of agent at the region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; and (c) performing steps (a) and (b) a plurality of time.

Claim 2

A method of removing a film from an image carrier for an image forming apparatus comprising: said image carrier for forming a toner image thereon during an image forming mode operation; an agent carrier located to face said image carrier for transporting an agent, which is a mixture of carrier and toner and at least partly constituted by a magnetic substance, while retaining said agent on said agent carrier; and regulating means for regulating an amount of said agent to be transported to a region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; said method comprising the steps of: (a) transporting, at a time other than a time when the image forming mode operation is under way, an amount of the agent, great enough to scrape the film off said image carrier, to said region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; (b) reducing, at a time other than a time when the image forming mode of operation is under way, the amount of the agent to be fed to said region to prevent jamming of an operation of one of the image carrier and agent carrier due to an excess of agent at the region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; and (c) performing steps (a) and (b) a plurality of time.

Claim 13

A method of removing a film from an image carrier of an image forming apparatus comprising: said image carrier for forming a toner image thereon during an image forming mode operation; an agent carrier located to face said image carrier for transporting an agent which is a mixture of carrier and toner and at least partly constituted by a magnetic substance while retaining said agent on said agent carrier; and regulating means for regulating an amount of said agent to be transported to a region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; said method comprising the steps of: (a) transporting, by driving said agent carrier in a rotary motion, at a time other than a time when the image forming mode operation is under way, an amount of the agent retained on said agent carrier great enough to scrape the film off said image carrier to said region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; (b) reducing the amount of the agent to be fed to said region; (c) performing steps (a) and (b) a plurality of times; and (d) setting a linear velocity VP of said image carrier and a linear velocity VS of said agent carrier such that a relation 0<|VS/VP|<0.5 and a relation |VS/VP|>0.5 are satisfied in steps (a) and (b), respectively.

Claim 14

A method of removing a film from an image carrier of an image forming apparatus comprising: said image carrier for forming a toner image thereon during an image forming mode operation; an agent carrier located to face said image carrier for transporting an agent which is a mixture of carrier and toner and at least partly constituted by a magnetic substance while retaining said agent on said agent carrier; and regulating means for regulating an amount of said agent to be transported to a region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; said method comprising the steps of: (a) transporting, by driving said agent carrier in a rotary motion, at a time other than a time when the image forming mode operation is under way, an amount of the agent retained on said agent carrier great enough to scrape the film off said image carrier to said region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; (b) reducing the amount of the agent to be fed to said region; (c) performing steps (a) and (b) a plurality of times; and (d) setting a linear velocity VP of said image carrier and a linear velocity VS of said agent carrier such that a relation 0<|VS/VP|<0.5 and a relation |VS/VP|>0.5 are satisfied in steps (a) and (b), respectively.

Claim 15

A method of removing a film from an image carrier of an image forming apparatus comprising: said image carrier for forming a toner image thereon during an image forming mode operation; an agent carrier located to face said image carrier for transporting a cleaning agent which is a mixture of carrier and toner and at least partly constituted by a magnetic substance while retaining said cleaning agent on said agent carrier, said agent carrier comprising a cleaning sleeve in which magnets are accommodated, said cleaning sleeve comprising a number of grooves formed on an outer periphery thereof; and regulating means for regulating an amount of said cleaning agent to be transported to a region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; said method comprising the steps of: (a) transporting, at a time other than a time when the image forming mode operation in under way, an amount of the cleaning agent great enough to scrape the film off said image carier to said region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; (b) reducing the amount of the cleaning agent to be fed to said region; and (c) performing steps (a) and (b) a plurality of times.

Claim 16

A method of removing a film from an image carrier of an image forming apparatus comprising: said image carrier for forming a toner image thereon during an image forming mode operation; an agent carrier located to face said image carrier for transporting a cleaning agent which is a mixture of carrier and toner and at least partly constituted by a magnetic substance while retaining said cleaning agent on said agent carrier, said agent carrier comprising a cleaning sleeve in which magnets are accommodated, said cleaning sleeve comprising a number of grooves formed on an outer periphery thereof; and regulating means for regulating an amount of said cleaning agent to be transported to a region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; said method comprising the steps of: (a) transporting, at a time other than a time when the image forming mode operation in under way, an amount of the cleaning agent great enough to scrape the film off said image carier to said region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; (b) reducing the amount of the cleaning agent to be fed to said region; and (c) performing steps (a) and (b) a plurality of times.

Claim 18

A method of removing a film from an image carrier of an image forming apparatus comprising: said image carrier for forming a toner image thereon during an image forming mode operation; an agent carrier located to face said image carrier for transporting a cleaning agent which is a mixture of carrier and toner and at least partly constituted by a magnetic substance while retaining said cleaning agent on said agent carrier, said agent carrier comprising a cleaning sleeve in which magnets are accommodated; and regulating means for regulating an amount of said cleaning agent to be transported to a region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; said method comprising the steps of: (a) transporting by driving said cleaning sleeve in a rotary mode, at a time other than a time when the image forming mode operation is under way, an amount of the cleaning agent great enough to scrape the film off said image carrier to said region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; (b) rubbing said cleaning agent against said image carrier; (c) reducing the amount of the cleaning agent to be fed to said region; and (d) performing steps (a) to (c) a plurality of times.

Claim 19

A method of removing a film from an image carrier of an image forming apparatus comprising: said image carrier for forming a toner image thereon during an image forming mode operation; an agent carrier located to face said image carrier for transporting a cleaning agent which is a mixture of carrier and toner and at least partly constituted by a magnetic substance while retaining said cleaning agent on said agent carrier, said agent carrier comprising a cleaning sleeve in which magnets are accommodated; and regulating means for regulating an amount of said cleaning agent to be transported to a region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; said method comprising the steps of: (a) transporting by driving said cleaning sleeve in a rotary mode, at a time other than a time when the image forming mode operation is under way, an amount of the cleaning agent great enough to scrape the film off said image carrier to said region between said image carrier and said agent carrier; (b) rubbing said cleaning agent against said image carrier; (c) reducing the amount of the cleaning agent to be fed to said region; and (d) performing steps (a) to (c) a plurality of times.