Image forming apparatus with a returned toner transfer feature after a nonimage formation operation
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image bearer which carries an electrostatic image;
developing means for developing the electrostatic image using toner;
a rotating transfer member which transfers a toner image on said image bearer;
charging means for charging said image bearer on which residual toner is deposited due to transfer by said rotating transfer member, the charging means allowing residual toner on said image bearer to be collected;
returning means for returning toner in said charging means to said image bearer, when the image is not formed; and
removing means for removing toner on said rotating transfer means, said rotating transfer member transferring at least a portion of the returned toner to said image bearer returned by said returning means, when the image is not formed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier which carries an electrostatic image, a developing device for developing the electrostatic image using toner, a rotating transfer member which transfers a toner image on the image bearer, a charging device for charging an image bearer on which residual toner is deposited due to transfer by the rotating transfer member, the charging device allowing residual toner on the image bearer to be collected, and a returning device for returning toner in the charging device to the image bearer, the rotating transfer member transferring onto the rotating transfer member at least a portion of toner returned to the image bearer by the returning device.
36 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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an image bearer which carries an electrostatic image;
developing means for developing the electrostatic image using toner;
a rotating transfer member which transfers a toner image on said image bearer;
charging means for charging said image bearer on which residual toner is deposited due to transfer by said rotating transfer member, the charging means allowing residual toner on said image bearer to be collected;
returning means for returning toner in said charging means to said image bearer, when the image is not formed; and
removing means for removing toner on said rotating transfer means, said rotating transfer member transferring at least a portion of the returned toner to said image bearer returned by said returning means, when the image is not formed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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first and second image forming stations, said first and second image forming stations both including an image carrier, which carries an electrostatic image, charging means for collecting residual toner on said image bearer and charging said image bearer, developing means for developing the toner image on said image bearer using toner, and returning means for returning toner in the said charging means to said image bearer;
a rotating transfer member, which superposes and transfers toner images on said image bearers of said first and second image forming stations, said rotating transfer member transferring at least a portion of toner returned from said charging means to said image bearers of said first and second image forming stations; and
controlling means for controlling the timing of toner return by the returning means of said first image forming station and that of said second image forming station so that toner returned from said first image forming station and toner returned from said second image forming station differ in position on said rotating transfer member. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification