Image forming apparatus and control method of image forming apparatus

• US 10,656,551 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2018
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Hidehito
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harrison, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US16/168,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20200133155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0194 primary transfer to the final recording medium G03G15/0184 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/043 with means for controlling illumination or exposure G03G15/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5058 using a test patch
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0141 the linear arrangement being horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0161 Generation of registration marks

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a plurality of process units, a transferring member, a sensor, and a processor. The plurality of process units include a photosensitive drum, an electric charger which charges the photosensitive drum, an exposing device which includes a plurality of light emitting element rows in a sub-scanning direction configured by the plurality of light emitting elements, and irradiates the photosensitive drum to form a latent image, and a developing device which attaches toner to the latent image to form a toner image. The transferring member receives the toner image from the photosensitive drum. The sensor detects the toner image transferred to the transferring member. The processor calculates a skew deviation amount based on the detection result of the sensor, and controls turning on and off the light emitting element based on a central tendency and the skew deviation amount.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of process units including

a photosensitive drum,

an electric charger which charges the photosensitive drum,

an exposing device which includes a plurality of light emitting element rows in a sub-scanning direction in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a main scanning direction, and configured to irradiate the photosensitive drum to form a latent image while switching the light emitting element rows, and

a developing device which attaches toner to the latent image of the photosensitive drum to form a toner image;

a transferring member configured to receive the toner image from the photosensitive drum of each process unit, and transfer the toner image to a print medium;

a sensor configured to detect the toner image transferred from the photosensitive drum of each process unit to the transferring member; and

a processor configured to calculate a skew deviation amount of the process unit based on a detection result of the sensor, and control turning on and off one or more light emitting elements of the light emitting element rows of the exposing device based on a central tendency of the calculated skew deviation amount and the skew deviation amount of the process unit, wherein

the skew deviation amount is a difference between a slope of one line of the toner image formed on the transferring member by any one of the process units and a slope of one line of the toner image formed by another one of the process units.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor selects the light emitting element to be turned on in the sub-scanning direction based on the central tendency and the skew deviation amount of the process unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the central tendency is an average value, and

the processor is configured to

determine a slope of the process unit of the skew deviation amount at which a difference from an average value of the skew deviation amounts of the process unit becomes smallest as a positioning reference, and

control the light emitting element to be turned on of the exposing device based on the positioning reference and the skew deviation amount of the process unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the central tendency is an average value, and

the processor is configured to

determine an average value of the skew deviation amount of the process unit as a positioning reference, and

control the light emitting element to be turned on of the exposing device based on the positioning reference and the skew deviation amount of the process unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the processor assigns a coefficient to each of the process units for the skew deviation amount of the process unit, and uses the coefficient to calculate the central tendency.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the processor determines the coefficient to be assigned to the process unit based on a toner color of the process unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the processor sets the coefficient of the process unit of which the toner color is black to be a value higher than other coefficients.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the processor sets the coefficient of the process unit of which the toner color is yellow to be a value lower than other coefficients.

9. A control method of an image forming apparatus, wherein

the image forming apparatus includes

a plurality of process units including a photosensitive drum, an electric charger which charges the photosensitive drum, an exposing device which includes a plurality of light emitting element rows in a sub-scanning direction in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a main scanning direction, and irradiates the photosensitive drum to form a latent image while switching the light emitting element rows, and a developing device which attaches toner to the latent image of the photosensitive drum to form a toner image,

receiving the toner image from the photosensitive drum of each process unit, and transferring the toner image to a print medium;

detecting the toner image transferred from the photosensitive drum of each process unit to the transferring member; and

calculating a skew deviation amount of the process unit based on a detection result, and controlling turning on and off one or more light emitting elements of the exposing device based on a central tendency of the calculated skew deviation amount and the skew deviation amount of the process unit,

wherein the skew deviation amount is a difference between a slope of one line of toner image formed on the transferring member by any one of the process units and a slope of one line of the toner image formed by another one of the process units.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

selecting the light emitting element to be turned on in the sub-scanning direction based on the central tendency and the skew deviation amount of the process unit.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein

the central tendency is an average value, and

further comprising:

determining a slope of the process unit of the skew deviation amount at which a difference from an average value of the skew deviation amounts of the process unit becomes smallest as a positioning reference, and

controlling the light emitting element to be turned on of the exposing device based on the positioning reference and the skew deviation amount of the process unit.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein

the central tendency is an average value, and

further comprising:

determining an average value of the skew deviation amount of the process unit as a positioning reference, and

controlling the light emitting element to be turned on of the exposing device based on the positioning reference and the skew deviation amount of the process unit.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

assigning a coefficient to each of the process units for the skew deviation amount of the process unit, and using the coefficient to calculate the central tendency.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining the coefficient to be assigned to the process unit based on a toner color of the process unit.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

setting the coefficient of the process unit of which the toner color is black to be a value higher than other coefficients.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

setting the coefficient of the process unit of which the toner color is yellow to be a value lower than other coefficients.