US5159388A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Image forming apparatus
Assignee: Minolta Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1991-06-25
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Granted: 1992-10-27
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Expires: 2011-06-25
Abstract
Abstract An image forming apparatus comprising a charging section for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; an image forming section for forming an image on the photoconductive body charged by the charging section; a detecting section for detecting an influx current flowing to the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by the charging section; and a control section for controlling the image forming section so as to stabilize a quality of images formed by the image forming section.
Inventors
- 👤 Tsugihito Yoshiyama
- 👤 Hiroshi Okamoto
- 👤 Moriyoshi Matsushiro
- 👤 Masataka Oda
- 👤 Masayasu Haga
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:58
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/75; G03G15/04; G03G15/043; G03G15/06; G03G15/065
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 46
Claim 1
Independent Claim
86 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: charging means for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; image forming means for forming an image on the photoconductive body charged by said charging means; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charging means; and control means for controlling said image forming means based on a detecting result of said detecting means so as to stabilize a quality of images formed by said image forming means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
86 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: charging means for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; image forming means for forming an image on the photoconductive body charged by said charging means; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charging means; and control means for controlling said image forming means based on a detecting result of said detecting means so as to stabilize a quality of images formed by said image forming means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein said photoconductive body is organic.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charging means is of the scorotron type.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein said charging means have at least two switchable grid voltages and said detecting means detects the influx currents flowing to the photoconductive body corresponding to both of the grid voltages.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein said image forming means includes exposure means for exposing an image of a document on the photoconductive body and said control means controls a light amount emitted from said exposure means for exposure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein said image forming means includes developing means for developing the image formed on the photoconductive body and said control means controls a developing bias voltage of said developing means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
92 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: charging means for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; exposure means for exposing an image of a document on the photoconductive body; developing means for developing the image formed on the photoconductive body; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charging means; and control means for controlling said exposure means based on a detecting result of said detecting means so as to stabilize a quality of images formed on the photoconductive body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
92 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: charging means for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; exposure means for exposing an image of a document on the photoconductive body; developing means for developing the image formed on the photoconductive body; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charging means; and control means for controlling said exposure means based on a detecting result of said detecting means so as to stabilize a quality of images formed on the photoconductive body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 7, wherein said photoconductive body is organic.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 7, wherein said charging means is of the scorotron type.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 9, wherein said charging means have at least two switchable grid voltages and said detecting means detects the influx currents flowing to the photoconductive body corresponding to both of the grid voltages.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 7, wherein said control means controls a light amount emitted from said exposure means for exposure.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 7, wherein said control means further controls a developing bias voltage of said developing means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
91 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: charging means for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; exposure means for exposing an image of a document on the photoconductive body; developing means for developing the image formed on the photoconductive body; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charging means; and control means for controlling said developing means based on a detecting result of said detecting means so as to stabilize a quality of images formed on the photoconductive.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
91 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: charging means for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; exposure means for exposing an image of a document on the photoconductive body; developing means for developing the image formed on the photoconductive body; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charging means; and control means for controlling said developing means based on a detecting result of said detecting means so as to stabilize a quality of images formed on the photoconductive.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 13, wherein said photoconductive body is organic.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 13, wherein said charging means is of the scorotron type.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 15, wherein said charging means have at least two switchable grid voltages and said detecting means detects the influx current flowing into the photoconductive body corresponding to both of the grid voltages.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 13, wherein said control means controls a developing bias voltage of said developing means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 13, wherein said control means further controls said exposure means by adjusting the light amount emitted from said exposure means for exposure.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
113 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: a scorotron type charger for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body, said charger having at least two switchable grid voltages; image forming means for forming an image on the photoconductive body charged by said charger; detecting means for detecting influx currents flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charger, said detecting means detecting the influx currents flowing into the photoconductive body corresponding to both of the grid voltages; and control means for controlling said image forming means based on a detecting result of said detecting means so as to stabilize a quality of images formed by said image forming means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
113 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: a scorotron type charger for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body, said charger having at least two switchable grid voltages; image forming means for forming an image on the photoconductive body charged by said charger; detecting means for detecting influx currents flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charger, said detecting means detecting the influx currents flowing into the photoconductive body corresponding to both of the grid voltages; and control means for controlling said image forming means based on a detecting result of said detecting means so as to stabilize a quality of images formed by said image forming means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 19, wherein said photoconductive body is organic.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
41 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 19, wherein said image forming means includes exposure means for exposing an image of a document on the photoconductive body and said control means controls a light amount emitted from said exposure means for exposure.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
37 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 19, wherein said image forming means includes developing means for developing the image formed on the photoconductive body and said control means controls a developing bias voltage of said developing means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
95 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: charging means for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; image forming means for forming an image on the photoconductive body charged by said charging means; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charging means; estimating means for estimating a life expectancy of the photoconductive body based on a detecting result of said detecting means; and warning means for warning an operator when the photoconductive body completes a life thereof in accordance with said estimating means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
95 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: charging means for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; image forming means for forming an image on the photoconductive body charged by said charging means; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charging means; estimating means for estimating a life expectancy of the photoconductive body based on a detecting result of said detecting means; and warning means for warning an operator when the photoconductive body completes a life thereof in accordance with said estimating means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
13 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 23, wherein said photoconductive body is organic.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
34 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 23, wherein said estimating means calculates a thickness of a photoconductive layer of the photoconductive body and estimates the life expectancy of the photoconductive body from calculated thickness.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 24, wherein said estimating means further estimates a number of copies which can be made hereafter from the calculated thickness and a number of copies which have been made.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
40 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 23, further comprising: control means for controlling said image forming means based on a detecting result of said detecting means so as to stabilize a quality of images formed by said image forming means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
41 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 27, wherein said image forming means includes exposure means for exposing an image of a document on the photoconductive body and said control means controls a light amount emitted from said exposure means for exposure.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
37 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 27, wherein said image forming means includes developing means for developing the image formed on the photoconductive body and said control means controls a developing bias voltage of said developing means.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
89 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: charging means for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; image forming means for forming an image on the photoconductive body charged by said charging means; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charging means; calculating means for calculating a number of copies which can be made hereafter based on a detecting result of said detecting means; and informing means for informing an operator of the calculated number of copies.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
89 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: charging means for uniformly charging a surface of a photoconductive body; image forming means for forming an image on the photoconductive body charged by said charging means; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive body when the photoconductive body is charged by said charging means; calculating means for calculating a number of copies which can be made hereafter based on a detecting result of said detecting means; and informing means for informing an operator of the calculated number of copies.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
13 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 30, wherein said photoconductive body is organic.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
38 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 30, wherein said calculating means calculates a thickness of a photoconductive layer of the photoconductive body and thereafter calculates the number of copies which can be made hereafter from the calculated thickness.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
40 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 30, further comprising: control means for controlling said image forming means based on a detecting result of said detecting means so as to stabilize a quality of images formed by said image forming means.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
41 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 33, wherein said image forming means includes exposure means for exposing an image of a document on the photoconductive body and said control means controls a light amount emitted from said exposure means for exposure.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
37 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 33, wherein said image forming means includes developing means for developing the image formed on the photoconductive body and said control means controls a developing bias voltage of said developing means.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
124 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: a rotatable photoconductive member; charging means for uniformly charging a surface of said photoconductive member at a predetermined potential; image forming means for forming an image on a sheet, said image forming means including exposing means for exposing an image on the photoconductive member charged by said charging means to form an electrostatic latent image thereon, developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image and transferring means for transferring the toner image on a sheet; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive member when the photoconductive member is charged by said charging means; and control means for controlling said image forming means based on a detecting result of said detecting means.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
124 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: a rotatable photoconductive member; charging means for uniformly charging a surface of said photoconductive member at a predetermined potential; image forming means for forming an image on a sheet, said image forming means including exposing means for exposing an image on the photoconductive member charged by said charging means to form an electrostatic latent image thereon, developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image and transferring means for transferring the toner image on a sheet; detecting means for detecting an influx current flowing into the photoconductive member when the photoconductive member is charged by said charging means; and control means for controlling said image forming means based on a detecting result of said detecting means.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
48 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 36, wherein said charging means includes a scorotron charger having a charging wire accommodated in a casing and a grid electrode interposed between the charging wire and the photoconductive member, a potential of said grid electrode being kept at a predetermined potential.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
14 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 37, wherein said control means controls exposing means.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
14 words
An image forming apparatus of claim 37, wherein said control means controls developing means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-10-27 | 1996-04-27 | 1996-10-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-10-27 | 2000-04-27 | 2000-10-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-10-27 | 2004-04-27 | 2004-10-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |