US5625857A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image forming apparatus which measures deposit amounts of toner
Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems Ltd
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Filing: 1995-01-05
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Granted: 1997-04-29
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Expires: 2015-01-05
Abstract
Abstract In an image forming apparatus using an electro-photographic process, using a plurality of colors of toner including black toner, a reflectance of a base medium on which a toner image is formed is higher than that of black toner itself and lower than that of color toner. A toner deposit amount sensor provided in the image forming apparatus has a light-receiving element provided in the regular reflection direction from a toner image on the base medium. The light-receiving element has a wide light-receiving area so as to receive at least a part of irregularly reflected light besides regularly reflected light. The light-receiving element is then stored in a container for preventing the element from being contaminated by scattered toner, except the time of toner deposit amount measurement. Measurement characteristics of the toner amount sensor are corrected when being stored in the container by using a correction plate provided in the container. Furthermore, the deposit amount of each color of toner is controlled by relations between image forming control parameters and the deposit amount of each color of toner is controlled by relations between image forming control parameters and the deposit amount of each one of the plurality of colors of toner and black toner, the relations being memorized in advance.
Inventors
- 👤 Akira Shimada
- 👤 Toru Miyasaka
- 👤 Nobuo Tokoro
- 👤 Shin-ya Sato
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:51
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/65; G03G15/6555; G03G15/01; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/00025; G03G2215/00029; G03G2215/00033; G03G2215/00037; G03G2215/00063
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
An image forming apparatus by electro-photographic process using a plurality of colors of toner and black toner, having an image forming base medium for electro-photography, a measurement means for measuring deposit amounts of a plurality of colors of toner and black toner of images formed on said base medium and a control means for controlling a concentration of each toner image on the basis of said measured deposit amounts of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, said apparatus being characterized in: that said measurement means measures a deposit amount of at least one of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, and said control means automatically adjusts at least one of image forming control parameters of a charging voltage, exposure strength, a development bias and transfer conditions, said adjusted image forming control parameters including said control parameters for ones of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, whose deposit amounts are measured, and said control parameters for the other ones of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, whose deposit amounts are not measured.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
183 words
An image forming apparatus by electro-photographic process using a plurality of colors of toner and black toner, having an image forming base medium for electro-photography, a measurement means for measuring deposit amounts of a plurality of colors of toner and black toner of images formed on said base medium and a control means for controlling a concentration of each toner image on the basis of said measured deposit amounts of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, said apparatus being characterized in: that said measurement means measures a deposit amount of at least one of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, and said control means automatically adjusts at least one of image forming control parameters of a charging voltage, exposure strength, a development bias and transfer conditions, said adjusted image forming control parameters including said control parameters for ones of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, whose deposit amounts are measured, and said control parameters for the other ones of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, whose deposit amounts are not measured.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measurement means measures a deposit amount of at least one of said plurality of colors of toner, and said control means estimates a deposit amount of black toner based on said measured deposit amount of at least one of said plurality of colors of toner.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measurement means measures a deposit amount of black toner, and said control means estimates deposit amounts of said plurality of colors of toner based on said measured deposit amount of black toner.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means stores functions of representing correlations among said image forming control parameters for each one of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, in advance.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
77 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means adjusts said image forming control parameters of all said plurality of colors of toner and black toner under conditions that a relation between each of said image forming control parameters for each one of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner and a deposit amount of said corresponding toner is the same on all said plurality of colors of toner and black toner.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, said apparatus having a printing mode of executing ordinary image forming and a test mode of executing adjustments of image forming control parameters by measuring said deposited amounts of toner.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
83 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, where an optical measurement means is provided in said measurement means, and said optical measurement means comprises a light-emitting element for irradiating deposited toner and a light-receiving element for sensing a strength of light reflected from said deposited toner, said light-receiving element having such a light-receiving face shape that said light-receiving element can receive both light regularly reflected from said deposited toner and at least a part of light irregularly reflected from said deposited toner.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
213 words
An image forming apparatus by electro-photographic process using a plurality of colors of toner and black toner, having an image forming base medium for electro-photography, a measurement means for measuring deposit amounts of a plurality of colors of toner and black toner of images formed on said base medium and a control means for controlling a concentration of each toner image on the basis of said measured deposit amounts of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, said apparatus being characterized in: that said measurement means measures a deposit amount of at least one of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, and said control means adjusts on demand at least one of image forming control parameters of a charging voltage, exposure strength, a development bias and transfer conditions, and values of said image forming control parameters to be adjusted are outputted to at least one of a display device and a memory unit of said control means, said adjusted image forming control parameters including said control parameters for ones of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, whose deposit amounts are measured, and said control parameters for the other ones of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, whose deposit amounts are not measured.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
213 words
An image forming apparatus by electro-photographic process using a plurality of colors of toner and black toner, having an image forming base medium for electro-photography, a measurement means for measuring deposit amounts of a plurality of colors of toner and black toner of images formed on said base medium and a control means for controlling a concentration of each toner image on the basis of said measured deposit amounts of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, said apparatus being characterized in: that said measurement means measures a deposit amount of at least one of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, and said control means adjusts on demand at least one of image forming control parameters of a charging voltage, exposure strength, a development bias and transfer conditions, and values of said image forming control parameters to be adjusted are outputted to at least one of a display device and a memory unit of said control means, said adjusted image forming control parameters including said control parameters for ones of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, whose deposit amounts are measured, and said control parameters for the other ones of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, whose deposit amounts are not measured.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said measurement means measures a deposit amount of at least one of said plurality of colors of toner, and said control means estimates a deposit amount of black toner based on said measured deposit amount of at least one of said plurality of colors of toner.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said measurement means measures a deposit amount of black toner, and said control means estimates deposit amounts of said plurality of colors of toner based on said measured deposit amount of black toner.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control means stores functions of representing correlations among said image forming control parameters for each one of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, in advance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
77 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control means adjusts said image forming control parameters of all said plurality of colors of toner and black toner under conditions that a relation between each of said image forming control parameters for each one of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner and a deposit amount of said corresponding toner is the same on all said plurality of colors of toner and black toner.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, said apparatus having a printing mode of executing ordinary image forming and a test mode of executing adjustments of image forming control parameters by measuring said deposited amounts of toner.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
83 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, where an optical measurement means is provided in said measurement means, and said optical measurement means comprises a light-emitting element for irradiating deposited toner and a light-receiving element for sensing a strength of light reflected from said deposited toner, said light-receiving element having such a light-receiving face shape that said light-receiving element can receive both light regularly reflected from said deposited toner and at least a part of light irregularly reflected from said deposited toner.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
185 words
An image forming apparatus by electro-photographic process using a plurality of colors of toner and black toner, having an image forming base medium for electro-photography, a measurement means for measuring deposit amounts of a plurality of colors of toner and black toner of images formed on said base medium and a control means for controlling a concentration of each toner image on the basis of said measured deposit amounts of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, said apparatus being characterized in: that said measurement means comprises a container with a cover plate for storing a toner deposit amount sensor therein, and a moving means for shifting said toner deposit amount sensor between a measurement position, said toner deposit amounts being measured at said measurement position, and a containment position, said toner deposit amount sensor being shifted to and stored in said container by closing said cover plate, and measurement characteristics of said toner deposit amount sensor being corrected by using a correction plate provided in said container, except the time of measuring said deposit amount of toner formed on said base medium.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
185 words
An image forming apparatus by electro-photographic process using a plurality of colors of toner and black toner, having an image forming base medium for electro-photography, a measurement means for measuring deposit amounts of a plurality of colors of toner and black toner of images formed on said base medium and a control means for controlling a concentration of each toner image on the basis of said measured deposit amounts of said plurality of colors of toner and black toner, said apparatus being characterized in: that said measurement means comprises a container with a cover plate for storing a toner deposit amount sensor therein, and a moving means for shifting said toner deposit amount sensor between a measurement position, said toner deposit amounts being measured at said measurement position, and a containment position, said toner deposit amount sensor being shifted to and stored in said container by closing said cover plate, and measurement characteristics of said toner deposit amount sensor being corrected by using a correction plate provided in said container, except the time of measuring said deposit amount of toner formed on said base medium.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
50 words
The image forming apparatus according claim 15, wherein said correction plate is provided at a back of said cover plate of said container and said toner deposit amount sensor is arranged opposite to said correction plate in a state that said toner deposit amount sensor is stored in said container.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
The image forming apparatus according claim 15, wherein an interval between said deposit amount sensor and said correction plate is equal to an interval between said deposit amount sensor and said base medium.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
84 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, where an optical measurement means is provided in said measurement means, and said optical measurement means comprises a light-emitting element for irradiating deposited toner and a light-receiving element for sensing a strength of light reflected from said deposited toner, said light-receiving element having of such a light-receiving face shape that said light-receiving element can receive both light regularly reflected from said deposited toner and at least a part of light irregularly reflected from said deposited toner.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, said apparatus having a printing mode of executing ordinary image forming and a test mode of executing adjustments of image forming control parameters by measuring said deposited amounts of toner.
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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) | 2000-04-28 | 2000-10-28 | 2001-04-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-04-28 | 2004-10-28 | 2005-04-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-04-28 | 2008-10-28 | 2009-04-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |