Image carrier cartridge and image forming apparatus

• US 20040022556A1
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nomura, Yujiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,944,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/116
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0194 primary transfer to the final recording medium G03G15/0184 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1889 for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0158 Colour registration
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1603 for multicoloured copies
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1684 using extractable subframes, e.g. on rails or hinges

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus of a tandem type comprising at least two image forming stations each of which is composed of an image carrier, and a charging means 42 (K, C, M, and Y) and the like which are arranged around the image carrier and capable of forming an image, a plurality of the image carriers 41 (K, C, M, and Y) are mounted at proper relative positions to an image carrier cartridge which is detachable relative to the apparatus body, and developing means 44 (K, C, M, and Y) are designed to be detachable relative to the respective image carriers mounted to the image carrier cartridge. Writing means 43, a transferring means 30 are mounted at proper positions. The cartridge is provided with a storage means for storing information on color registration errors and color registration error is corrected by a correcting means.

Claims

1. An image carrier cartridge which is designed to be detachable relative to an image forming apparatus of a tandem type, said image forming apparatus comprising at least two image forming stations each of which is composed of an image carrier, and a charging means, a writing means, a developing means, and a transfer means which are arranged around the image carrier, wherein said image forming apparatus forms a color image by passing a transfer medium through the respective stations,

said image carrier cartridge supporting a plurality of said image carriers together and comprising:

a positioning member for positioning the image carriers at proper relative positions;

an electronic module having a storage means in which information about color registration error is stored; and

a signal connecting means between said electronic module and the image forming apparatus body.

2. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the respective positions of the image carriers.

3. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the respective profiles of the image carriers.

4. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the respective positions of the image carriers relative to a positioning member of the cartridge for positioning the cartridge relative to the image forming apparatus body.

5. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 4, wherein said positioning member of the cartridge for positioning the cartridge relative to the image forming apparatus body is a shaft of the image carrier for a reference color and wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the positions of the other image carriers relative to the image carrier for the reference color.

6. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the coefficient of linear expansion of the positioning member for the image carriers.

7. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein driving force produced at one portion of the apparatus body diverges and is transmitted to all of a plurality of said image carriers within the image carrier cartridge.

8. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein no cleaning means for collecting remaining developer is disposed around said image carriers.

10. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information on color registration error stored in said storage means is information as described in any of claims 2 through 6.

9. An image forming apparatus of a tandem type comprising at least two image forming stations each of which is composed of an image carrier, and a charging means, a writing means, a developing means, and a transfer means which are arranged around the image carrier, wherein said image forming apparatus forms a color image by passing a transfer medium through the respective stations, said image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier cartridge having a positioning member for positioning the image carriers at proper relative positions;

an electronic module having a storage means in which information about color registration error is stored; and

a signal connecting means between said electronic module and the image forming apparatus body, wherein said image carrier cartridge is designed to be detachable relative to the image forming apparatus body and supports a plurality of said image carriers together; and

a correcting means for correcting color registration errors on the basis of a signal from said electronic module.

11. An image carrier cartridge which is designed to be detachable relative to an image forming apparatus of a tandem type, said image forming apparatus comprising at least two image forming stations each of which is composed of an image carrier, and a charging means, a writing means, a developing means, and a transfer means which are arranged around the image carrier, wherein said image forming apparatus forms a color image by passing a transfer medium through the respective stations,

said image carrier cartridge supporting a plurality of said image carriers together and comprising:

a positioning member for positioning the image carriers at proper relative positions;

writing means located at positions corresponding to the respective image carriers;

an electronic module having a storage means in which information about color registration error is stored; and

a signal connecting means between said electronic module and the image forming apparatus body.

12. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the respective positions of the image carriers.

13. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the respective writing positions of the image carriers.

14. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the respective parallelisms of the writing means relative to the axes of the image carriers.

15. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the respective positions of the image carriers relative to a positioning member of the cartridge for positioning the cartridge relative to the image forming apparatus body.

16. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein the positioning member of the cartridge for positioning the cartridge relative to the image forming apparatus body is a shaft of the image carrier for a reference color and wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the positions of the other image carriers relative to the image carrier for the reference color.

17. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the coefficient of linear expansion of the positioning member for the image carriers.

18. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the rotational error of the image carrier due to the driving force transmitting member for the image carriers provided on the image carrier cartridge.

19. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein driving force produced at one portion of the apparatus body diverges and is transmitted to all of a plurality of said image carriers within the image carrier cartridge.

20. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in any one of claims 11 through 19 wherein no cleaning means for collecting remaining developer is disposed around said image carriers.

22. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the information on color registration error stored in said storage means is information as described in any of claims 12 through 18.

21. An image forming apparatus of a tandem type comprising at least two image forming stations each of which is composed of an image carrier, and a charging means, a writing means, a developing means, and a transfer means which are arranged around the image carrier, wherein said image forming apparatus forms a color image by passing a transfer medium through the respective stations, said image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier cartridge having a positioning member for positioning the image carriers at proper relative positions;

writing means located at positions corresponding to the respective image carriers;

an electronic module having a storage means in which information on color registration error is stored; and

a signal connecting means between said electronic module and the image forming apparatus body, wherein said image carrier cartridge is designed to be detachable relative to the image forming apparatus body and supports a plurality of said image carriers together; and

a correcting means for correcting color registration errors on the basis of a signal from said electronic module.

23. An image carrier cartridge which is designed to be detachable relative to an image forming apparatus of a tandem type, said image forming apparatus comprising at least two image forming stations each of which is composed of an image carrier, and a charging means, a writing means, a developing means, and a transfer means which are arranged around the image carrier, wherein said image forming apparatus forms a color image by passing a transfer medium through the respective stations,

said image carrier cartridge supporting a plurality of said image carriers together and comprising:

a positioning member for positioning the image carriers at proper relative positions;

writing means located at positions corresponding to the respective image carriers;

a transfer means arranged to be in contact with a plurality of said image carriers;

an electronic module having a storage means in which information on color registration error is stored; and

a signal connecting means between said electronic module and the image forming apparatus body.

24. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 23, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the respective writing positions of the image carriers.

25. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 23, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the respective transfer positions on the image carriers.

26. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 23, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the coefficient of linear expansion of the positioning member for the image carriers.

27. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 23, wherein said information on color registration error is formed on the basis of the rotational error of the image carrier due to the driving force transmitting member for the image carriers provided on the image carrier cartridge.

28. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 23, wherein driving force produced at one portion of the apparatus body diverges and is transmitted to all of a plurality of said image carriers within the image carrier cartridge.

29. An image carrier cartridge as claimed in claim 23 wherein no cleaning means for collecting remaining developer is disposed around said image carriers.

31. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein the information on color registration error stored in said storage means is information as described in any of claims 24 through 27.

30. An image forming apparatus of a tandem type comprising at least two image forming stations each of which is composed of an image carrier, and a charging means, a writing means, a developing means, and a transfer means which are arranged around the image carrier, wherein said image forming apparatus forms a color image by passing a transfer medium through the respective stations, said image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier cartridge having a positioning member for positioning the image carriers at proper relative positions;

writing means located at positions corresponding to the respective image carriers;

a transfer means arranged to be in contact with a plurality of said image carriers;

an electronic module having a storage means in which information on color registration error is stored; and

a signal connecting means between said electronic module and the image forming apparatus body, wherein said image carrier cartridge is designed to be detachable relative to the image forming apparatus body and supports a plurality of said image carriers together; and

a correcting means for correcting color registration errors on the basis of a signal from said electronic module.