公开(公告)号：US11143979B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-12

申请号：US17098406

申请日：2020-11-15

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Tamotsu Shimizu ,  Mitsuhiro Hashimoto ,  Takahiro Okubo ,  Yohei Wakasa ,  Kazuhiro Nakachi

IPC: G03G15/06

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus having a simple configuration capable of measuring a toner current included in a developing current and accurately calculating a toner charge amount based on the measurement result. A developing device has a developer carrier that carries a two-component developer including a magnetic carrier and toner. A developing voltage power supply applies a developing voltage obtained by superimposing an AC voltage on a DC voltage on the developer carrier. A control unit estimates a toner charge amount based on a toner current calculated by subtracting a carrier current from a developing current detected by a current detecting unit when a reference image is formed during non-image formation, and a toner developing amount calculated from the density of a reference image detected by a density detecting device.

公开(公告)号：US10921729B2

公开(公告)日：2021-02-16

申请号：US16583430

申请日：2019-09-26

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Tamotsu Shimizu ,  Yasushi Imanishi ,  Satoshi Sunayama ,  Kazuhiro Nakachi ,  Ai Takagami ,  Kanako Kikuchi

IPC: G03G15/06

Abstract: A mode controller outputs a characteristic value according to a DC component of a developing current measured by an ammeter at a predetermined measurement timing. The measurement timing is defined as a timing at which a non-image forming region of a surface of a photosensitive drum is located opposite to a developing roller in the entirety of an axial direction and an electric field in a direction in which a toner moves from the photosensitive drum toward the developing roller by a potential difference between a surface potential of the photosensitive drum and the DC component of a developing bias is formed in a developing nip part. A determining section determines an execution timing for a charge amount acquisition operation according to the characteristic value output by the mode controller.

公开(公告)号：US11982965B2

公开(公告)日：2024-05-14

申请号：US18050783

申请日：2022-10-28

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Kazunori Tanaka ,  Yoshihiro Yamagishi ,  Tamotsu Shimizu ,  Kazuhiro Nakachi ,  Ryota Okui

IPC: G03G15/08 ,  G03G15/00 ,  G03G15/02

CPC classification number: G03G15/553 ,  G03G15/0266 ,  G03G15/5037

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing member, a first detection processing portion, and an acquisition processing portion. The developing member conveys developer to a facing portion between the developing member and the image-carrying member. The first detection processing portion detects a first development current for each of a plurality of specific voltages with different DC voltage values applied to the developing member, the first development current flowing, in response to application of the specific voltages, through the facing portion including the developer and a specific exposed area, formed by the light emitting portion, on the image-carrying member. The acquisition processing portion acquires a potential value of the specific exposed area based on the DC voltage values of the specific voltages and current values of the first development current, detected by the first detection processing portion, corresponding to the respective specific voltages.

公开(公告)号：US11249415B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-15

申请号：US17098405

申请日：2020-11-15

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Tamotsu Shimizu ,  Takahiro Okubo ,  Yohei Wakasa ,  Kazuhiro Nakachi

IPC: G03G15/06 ,  G03G15/00

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus having a simple configuration capable of measuring a toner current included in a developing current and accurately calculating a toner charge amount based on the measurement result. The developing device has a developer carrier that carries a two-component developer including a magnetic carrier and toner. The density detecting device detects the density of the toner image. The current detecting unit detects a DC component of a developing current that flows when a developing voltage is applied to the developer carrier. The control unit, in a state in which the image carrier is rotated at two or more different linear speeds during non-image formation, forms the same reference image on the image carrier by the developing device, and estimates the toner charge amount based on the developing current when the reference image is formed and the density of the reference image.

公开(公告)号：US11067923B2

公开(公告)日：2021-07-20

申请号：US16984788

申请日：2020-08-04

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Tamotsu Shimizu ,  Takahiro Okubo ,  Mitsuhiro Hashimoto ,  Kazuhiro Nakachi ,  Shiro Kaneko

IPC: G03G15/16 ,  G03G15/20 ,  G03G15/00

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a high-voltage generation circuit, a current detection portion and a control portion. The image forming portion includes an image carrying member, a charging device, an exposure device and a developing device which includes a developer carrying member for carrying a two-component developer. The control portion can perform a transfer memory prediction mode that includes a step of estimating, when a first reference image is formed, the level of occurrence of transfer memory based on the direct-current component of a development current flowing through the developer carrying member and a step of measuring, when the measured direct-current component of the development current is larger than a predetermined value, the amount of charge of the toner within the developing device and estimating the cause of occurrence of the transfer memory based on the measured amount of charge of the toner.

公开(公告)号：US10551766B1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-04

申请号：US16510255

申请日：2019-07-12

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Kazuhiro Nakachi ,  Satoshi Sunayama

IPC: G03G15/08 ,  G03G15/00

Abstract: A mode control section forms a plurality of reference toner images having different densities on a photosensitive drum, where the frequency of an alternating-current voltage of a development bias is varied with a potential difference between direct-current voltages of a development roller and the photosensitive drum maintained constant, generates a reference straight line indicating a relationship between a toner amount of each reference toner image obtained by converting the density of the measured reference toner image into weight, and a representative value of current values of a development current measured during formation of the reference toner image, and acquires the amount of electrostatic charge of toner using the reference straight line.

公开(公告)号：US10061251B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-28

申请号：US15784295

申请日：2017-10-16

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Kazuhiro Nakachi

IPC: G03G15/00 ,  G06F3/12 ,  H04L29/08

CPC classification number: G03G15/553 ,  G03G15/5004 ,  G03G15/5079 ,  G06F3/1229 ,  H04L29/08567

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller, a transmitter, a receiver, and an input receiving device. Upon the controller detecting a replacement unit that needs to be replaced, the transmitter transmits, to an external device, unit information indicating the replacement unit. The receiver receives, from the external device via a network, replacement procedure information of the replacement unit detected by the controller and identification information of a worker who is to replace the replacement unit. Upon the input receiving device receiving input of identification information that matches the identification information of the worker received by the receiver, the controller shifts an operation state of the image forming apparatus from a normal power supply mode to a unit replacement mode in which power is supplied only to predetermined components of the image forming apparatus other than the replacement unit.