IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20110103812A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takasaka, Atsushi, Aoki, Daisuke, Miyabe, Shigeo
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/44
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0121 for developing
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0806 on a donor element, e.g. belt, roller complete developer unit G03G15/0896
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1676 for the developer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0177 Rotating set of developing units
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1657 transmitting mechanical drive power
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1815 for cleaning or developing but not being a process cartridge

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a development device including a development roller and a driving force receiving member, a movable member configured to move the development device between a development position and a retracting position, a first driving force transmission member configured to transmit a driving force to the movable member, a second driving force transmission member configured to engage with the driving force receiving member and transmit the driving force to the driving force receiving member, and a controller configured to perform drive control for the first driving force transmission member based on a temperature detected by a sensor. If α1 represents acceleration of the development device in a case where the temperature is T1 and the driving force receiving member disengages from the second driving force transmission member and α2 represents acceleration of the development device in a case where the temperature is T2 and the driving force receiving member disengages from the second driving force transmission member, the controller performs the drive control for the first driving force transmission member so as to satisfy a relationship α1≦α2 when T1≦T2.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a development device including a development roller carrying a developer to develop an electrostatic image and a driving force receiving member configured to receive a driving force to rotate the development roller;

a movable member configured to hold the development device and move the development device between a development position where the development device performs development and a retracting position where the development device separates from the development position;

a first driving force transmission member configured to transmit a driving force to the movable member to move the development device;

a second driving force transmission member configured to engage with the driving force receiving member and transmit the driving force to the driving force receiving member in a state where the development device is located at the development position;

a sensor configured to detect an internal body temperature of the image forming apparatus; and

a controller configured to perform drive control for the first driving force transmission member based on the temperature detected by the sensor;

wherein if α

1 represents acceleration of the development device in a case where the temperature detected by the sensor is T1 and the driving force receiving member disengages from the second driving force transmission member according to a movement of the development device from the development position to the retracting position, and α

2 represents acceleration of the development device in a case where the temperature detected by the sensor is T2 and the driving force receiving member disengages from the second driving force transmission member according to a movement of the development device from the development position to the retracting position,

the controller performs the drive control for the first driving force transmission member so as to satisfy a relationship α

1≦

α

2 when T1≦

T2.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if V1 represents moving speed of the development device in a case where the temperature detected by the sensor is T1 and the driving force receiving member disengages from the second driving force transmission member according to the movement of the development device from the development position to the retracting position, and V2 represents moving speed of the development device in a case where the temperature detected by the sensor is T2 and the driving force receiving member disengages from the second driving force transmission member according to the movement of the development device from the development position to the retracting position,

the controller performs the drive control for the first driving force transmission member so as to satisfy a relationship V1≦

V2 when T1≦

T2.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs the drive control for the first driving force transmission member so that the acceleration of the development device becomes 0 in a case where the temperature detected by the sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined temperature and the driving force receiving member disengages from the second driving force transmission member according to the movement of the development device from the development position to the retracting position.