IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20120275808A1
• Filed: 04/23/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mochizuki, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/66
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0189 primary transfer to an intermediate transfer belt G03G15/0184 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/1675 with means for controlling the bias applied in the transfer nip
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00776 of humidity or moisture influencing copy sheet handling
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0125 the linear arrangement being horizontal or slanted
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/1614 Transfer roll

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a control unit having a first function and a second function. The first function controls a downstream transfer current to be less than an upstream transfer current. The second function controls the downstream transfer current to be greater than the upstream transfer current.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image bearing member configured to bear a toner image;

an intermediate transfer member configured to be movable and to bear a toner image transferred from the image bearing member;

a first transfer member configured to transfer the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to a recording material;

a second transfer member, located in a downstream direction from the first transfer member, in which the intermediate transfer member is conveyed and is configured to transfer the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to the recording material;

a voltage application unit configured to apply voltages to the first transfer member and the second transfer member to transfer the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to the recording material;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire information associated with a moisture content;

a control unit configured to individually control the voltage applied to the first transfer member and the voltage applied to the second transfer member, wherein the control unit includes a first function of controlling the voltage application unit such that a transfer current flowing through the second transfer member is less than a transfer current flowing through the first transfer member, and a second function of controlling the voltage application unit such that the transfer current flowing through the second transfer member is greater than the transfer current flowing through the first transfer member; and

a process execution unit configured to execute an image forming process in a first image forming mode or a second image forming mode such that if the information acquired by the acquisition unit indicates a first moisture content for a recording material being conveyed the process execution unit executes the image forming process to form an image in the first image forming mode using the first function, wherein, if the information acquired by the acquisition unit indicates a second moisture content for the recording material less than the first moisture content, the process execution unit executes the image forming process to form an image in the second image forming mode using the second function.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first opposing member that is grounded and disposed so as to oppose the first transfer member via the intermediate transfer member; and

a second opposing member that is grounded and disposed so as to oppose the second transfer member via the intermediate transfer member.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first transfer member is a roller, and

the second transfer member is a roller.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conveying belt configured to convey the recording material.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first transfer member is located on an inner side of the intermediate transfer member, and

the second transfer member is located on an outer side of the intermediate transfer member.