IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20190011849A1
• Filed: 06/29/2018
• Published: 01/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Funatani, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,488,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/043 with means for controlling illumination or exposure G03G15/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5037 the characteristics being an electrical parameter, e.g. voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00899 Detection of supply level or supply failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00997 Light control, e.g. shielding from ambient light or preventing light leakage
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/295 Circuits or arrangements for the control thereof, e.g. using a programmed control device, according to a measured quantity

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a detecting unit detecting a value of a current flowing to a photosensitive member when a voltage is supplied to a voltage applying member or a value of a voltage applied to the photosensitive member when a current is supplied to the voltage applying member, an acquiring unit acquiring information concerning a difference between potentials of the unexposed portion and the exposed portion, based on detection results of the detecting unit at times when the voltage is applied by the voltage applying member to each of an unexposed portion formed in a region chargeable by a charging member in a rotation axis direction of the photosensitive member and an exposed portion formed in a region exposable by the exposure device in the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive member, and a control unit controlling an image forming condition based on the information concerning the difference.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a photosensitive member;

a charging member configured to charge the photosensitive member to form an unexposed portion on the photosensitive member;

an exposure device configured to expose the photosensitive member charged by the charging member to form an exposed portion on the photosensitive member;

a voltage applying member configured to apply a voltage to the photosensitive member;

a detecting unit configured to detect a value of a current flowing to the photosensitive member when a voltage is supplied to the voltage applying member or a value of a voltage applied to the photosensitive member when a current is supplied to the voltage applying member;

an acquiring unit configured to acquire information concerning a difference between potential of the unexposed portion and potential of the exposed portion, based on detection results of the detecting unit at times when the voltage is applied by the voltage applying member to each of the unexposed portion formed in a region chargeable by the charging member in a rotation axis direction of the photosensitive member and the exposed portion formed in a region exposable by the exposure device in the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive member; and

a control unit configured to control an image forming condition based on the information concerning the difference.

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

when the acquiring unit acquires the information concerning the difference, the voltage applied to the photosensitive member by the voltage applying member is only a voltage having a same polarity as a polarity of a voltage applied to the photosensitive member by the voltage applying member during image formation.

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

the acquiring unit calculates, based on a relation between a current value and a voltage value acquired based on a detection result of the detecting unit by applying a plurality of different voltages to the unexposed portion with the control unit and a relation between a current value and a voltage value acquired based on a detection result of the detecting unit by applying a plurality of different voltages to the exposed portion, a difference between voltages at times when predetermined currents flow respectively to the unexposed portion and the exposed portion and acquires, based on the difference between the voltage, information concerning the difference.

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

the control unit controls the difference to approach a target value.

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

the control unit controls a light amount of the exposure device as the image forming condition.

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

the control unit controls, based on a relation between a light amount of the exposure device acquired by controlling a light amount of the exposure device at a time when the exposed portion is formed and the difference, the light amount of the exposure device such that the difference approaches a target value.

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

the control unit controls the image forming condition at predetermined timing corresponding to information concerning a degree of use of the photosensitive member.

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

the control unit controls the image forming condition at predetermined timing corresponding to information concerning an atmospheric environment.

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

the image forming apparatus is capable of performing image formation in a plurality of modes in which a target value of the difference is different, and the control unit controls an image forming condition in a mode in which the target value of the difference is relatively large among the plurality of modes such that differences of the difference among the plurality of modes approach a predetermined value.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the control unit corrects the predetermined value based on information concerning a charging amount of toner.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the information concerning the charging amount of the toner is based on information concerning a degree of use of the toner.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the information concerning the charging amount of the toner is based on information concerning an atmospheric environment.

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

the voltage applying member is a transfer member configured to transfer a toner image from the photosensitive member to a transfer body.

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

a plurality of image forming units including the photosensitive member, the charging member, the exposure device, and the voltage applying member; and

the detecting unit common to the plurality of image forming units, the detecting unit detecting a value of a current flowing to a plurality of the photosensitive members when a voltage is supplied to the voltage applying members respectively provided in the plurality of photosensitive members or a value of a voltage applied to the plurality of photosensitive members when a current is supplied to the voltage applying members respectively provided in the plurality of photosensitive members, wherein the acquiring unit acquires information concerning the difference in each of the plurality of photosensitive members, and the control unit controls an image forming condition concerning each of the plurality of photosensitive members.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

when a number of the plurality of photosensitive members is represented as n, the acquiring unit acquires, based on a detection result of the detecting unit at a time when a voltage is simultaneously applied to the unexposed portions on the n photosensitive members, respective detection results of the detecting unit at a time when a voltage is simultaneously applied to the exposed portions or the unexposed portions on the plurality of photosensitive members when the number of the photosensitive members forming the exposed portion is sequentially changed from 1 to n and the exposed portions or the unexposed portions are formed on surfaces of the respective photosensitive members, and information concerning a degree of use of each of the plurality of photosensitive members, information concerning the difference in each of the plurality of photosensitive members, n being an integer equal to or larger than 2.