TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20180267436A1
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Published: 09/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: TOKUYAMA, Atsuhito
• Granted Patent: US 10,459,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/1605 using at least one intermediate support G03G15/1625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/1675 with means for controlling the bias applied in the transfer nip
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5004 Power supply control, e.g. power-saving mode, automatic power turn-off
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/657 Feeding path after the transfer point and up to the fixing point, e.g. guides and feeding means for handling copy material carrying an unfused toner image

Abstract

A transfer device includes a transfer member that transfers an image from an image carrier to a recording medium; a first member that is electrically connected to the transfer member; a downstream member that is located downstream of the transfer member in a direction in which the recording medium moves, that is electrically connected to the transfer member via the first member, and that transfers the recording medium to a second member that is located downstream of the downstream member and that is electrically insulated from the downstream member; and a first electric potential controller that, when the recording medium is changed to a recording medium having a higher bending strength, changes an electric potential of the downstream member to an electric potential that is higher than an electric potential of the downstream member before the recording medium is changed.

Claims

1. A transfer device comprising:

a transfer member that transfers an image, which has been formed on a surface of an image carrier and carried by the image carrier, from the image carrier to a recording medium that passes through a space between the transfer member and the image carrier when a voltage is applied between the transfer member and the image carrier;

a first member that is electrically connected to the transfer member;

a downstream member that is located downstream of the transfer member in a direction in which the recording medium moves, that is electrically connected to the transfer member via the first member, and that transfers the recording medium to a second member that is located downstream of the downstream member in the direction in which the recording medium moves and that is electrically insulated from the downstream member; and

a first electric potential controller that, when the recording medium is changed to a recording medium having a bending strength higher than a bending strength of the recording medium before being changed, changes an electric potential of the downstream member to an electric potential that is higher than an electric potential of the downstream member before the recording medium is changed.

3. The transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an intermediate member that is disposed between the transfer member and the downstream member and that has an electric potential higher than an electric potential that the intermediate member would have if a linear change from an electric potential of the transfer member to the electric potential of the downstream member is assumed.

2. A transfer device comprising:

a transfer member that transfers an image, which has been formed on a surface of an image carrier and carried by the image carrier, from the image carrier to a recording medium that passes through a space between the transfer member and the image carrier when a voltage is applied between the transfer member and the image carrier;

a first member that is electrically connected to the transfer member;

a downstream member that is located downstream of the transfer member in a direction in which the recording medium moves, that is electrically connected to the transfer member via the first member, and that transfers the recording medium to a second member that is located downstream of the downstream member in the direction in which the recording medium moves and that is electrically insulated from the downstream member; and

a second electric potential controller that, when an environment changes to at least one of a hotter environment and a wetter environment, changes an electric potential of the downstream member to an electric potential that is higher than an electric potential of the downstream member before the environment changes.

4. The transfer device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an intermediate member that is disposed between the transfer member and the downstream member and that has an electric potential higher than an electric potential that the intermediate member would have if a linear change from an electric potential of the transfer member to the electric potential of the downstream member is assumed.

5. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier on whose surface an image is formed and that carries the image;

a transfer member that transfers the image from the image carrier to a recording medium that passes through a space between the transfer member and the image carrier when a voltage is applied between the transfer member and the image carrier;

a first member that is electrically connected to the transfer member;

a downstream member that is located downstream of the transfer member in a direction in which the recording medium moves and that is electrically connected to the transfer member via the first member; and

a second member that is located downstream of the downstream member in the direction in which the recording medium moves, that is electrically insulated from the downstream member, and that receives the recording medium from the downstream member; and

an electric potential controller that, when the recording medium is changed to a recording medium having a bending strength higher than a bending strength of the recording medium before being changed, changes an electric potential of the downstream member to an electric potential that is higher than an electric potential of the downstream member before the recording medium is changed.