Image forming apparatus, cartridge, image formation system, and storage medium for cartridge

• US 6,970,661 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shoji, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, HOANG X
• Application Number:
  US10/702,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20040136740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 399/46, 399/48, 399/50, 399/66, 399/168, 399/174, 399/176, 399/297, 399/307, 399/310, 399/313
• US Class Current: 399/50
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1889 for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage

Abstract

An image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable,

• • the process cartridge including an image bearing member,
  • a charging member for electrically charging the image bearing member, and a memory medium having a memory area for storing information relating to a charging current for a non-image-formation period;
  • the apparatus including a control unit for switching a voltage to be applied to the charging member in accordance with the information stored in the memory medium.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said process cartridge comprising an image bearing member, a charging member configured and positioned to electrically charge the image bearing member, and a memory medium having a memory area configured to store information relating to a charging current to be applied to the image bearing member by the charging member for a non-image-formation period in which no image is formed on the image bearing member and in which the image bearing member operates to perform an image formation operation, said apparatus comprising:

a control unit configured to control a voltage to be applied to the charging member,

wherein the control unit is configured to switch the voltage in accordance with the information relating to the charging current stored in the memory medium.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory medium has a second memory area configured to store the information relating to the charging current to be applied to the image bearing member by the charging member for an image-formation period during which the image bearing member operates to perform the image formation operation and during which an image is formed on the image bearing member.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control unit switches the voltage to be applied to the charging member depending on whether said apparatus is in the image-formation period or in the non-image-formation period, in accordance with the stored information relating to the charging current for the image-formation period and the stored information relating to the charging current for the non-image-formation period.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the memory medium further includes a third memory area configured to store information relating to a usage amount of the image bearing member, wherein said control unit switches the voltage in accordance with the stored information relating to the charging current for the image-formation period, the stored information relating to the charging current for the non-image-formation period and the stored information relating to the usage amount of the image bearing member.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information relating to the charging current for the non-image-formation period includes information representing voltages to be applied to the charging member, and the information relating to the charging current for the image-formation period includes information representing a voltage to be applied to the charging member, and wherein the information relating to the charging current for the non-image-formation period represents a value that is smaller than the value represented by the information relating to the charging current for the image-formation period.

6. A process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:

an image bearing member;

a charging member configured and positioned to electrically charge said image bearing member;

a memory medium configured to store information relating to said process cartridge, said memory medium having a memory area configured to store information relating to a charging current to be applied to said image bearing member by said charging member for a non-image-formation period in which no image is formed on said image bearing member and in which said image bearing member operates to perform an image formation operation.

7. A process cartridge according to claim 6, wherein said memory medium has a second memory area configured to store information relating to a charging current to be applied to said image bearing member by said charging member for an image-formation period during which said image bearing member operates to perform the image formation operation and during which an image is formed on said image bearing member.

8. A process cartridge according to claim 6, wherein said memory medium further includes a third memory area configured to store information relating to a usage amount of said image bearing member.

9. A process cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the information relating to the charging current for the non-image-formation period includes information representing voltages to be applied to said charging member, and the information relating to the charging current for the image-formation period includes information representing a voltage to be applied to said charging member, and wherein the information relating to the charging current for the non-image-formation period represents a value that is smaller than the value represented by the information relating to the charging current for the image-formation period.

10. A memory medium for a cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, the cartridge including an image bearing member and a charging member configured to electrically charge the image bearing member, said memory medium comprising a memory area configured to store information relating to a charging current to be applied to the image bearing member by the charging member for a non-image-formation period in which no image is formed on the image bearing member and in which the image bearing member operates to perform an image formation operation.

11. A memory medium according to claim 10, further comprising a second memory area configured to store information relating to a charging current to be applied to the image bearing member by the charging member for an image-formation period during which the image bearing member operates to perform the image formation operation and during which an image is formed on the image bearing member.

12. A memory medium according to claim 11, further comprising a third memory area configured to store information relating to a usage amount of the image bearing member.

13. A memory medium according to claim 11, wherein the information relating to the charging current for the non-image-formation period includes information representing a voltage to be applied to the charging member, and the information relating to the charging current for the image-formation period includes information representing a voltage to be applied to the charging member, and wherein the information relating to the charging current to be applied to the image bearing member by the charging member for the non-image-formation period represents a value that is smaller than a value represented by the information relating to the charging current to be applied to the image bearing member by the charging member for the image-formation period.

14. An image forming system for an image forming apparatus comprising a main assembly and a cartridge, wherein the image forming apparatus contains a part of process means for forming an image, wherein said system comprises:

a memory medium provided in the cartridge,

said memory medium including a memory area configured to store information relating to a charging current to be applied to an image bearing member of the cartridge for a non-image-formation period during which no image is formed on the image bearing member and in which the image bearing member operates to perform an image formation operation; and

a control unit configured to switch a voltage to be supplied to a charging member that charges the image bearing member with the charging current in accordance with the information stored in said memory medium.

15. An image forming system according to claim 14, wherein said memory medium has a second memory area configured to store information relating to a charging current to be applied to the image bearing member of the cartridge for an image-formation period during which the image bearing member operates to perform the image formation operation and during which an image is formed on the image bearing member.

16. An image forming system according to claim 15, wherein said memory medium further includes a third memory area configured to store information relating to a usage amount of the image bearing member, wherein said control unit switches the voltage applied to the charging member in accordance with the stored information relating to the charging current for the image-formation period, the stored information relating to the charging current for the non-image-formation period and the stored information relating to the usage amount of the image bearing member.

17. An image forming system according to claim 15, wherein the information relating to the charging current to be applied to the image bearing member for the non-image-formation period includes information representing a voltage to be applied to the charging member, and the information relating to the charging current to be applied to the image bearing member for the image-formation period includes information representing a voltage to be applied to the charging member, and wherein the information relating to the charging current for the non-image-formation period represents a value that is smaller than the value represented by the information relating to the charging current for the image-formation period.