Image forming apparatus and control method wherein a developer bearing member is driven at various speeds
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsRyosuke Kanai, Tomoo Akizuki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus is provided which can reduce occurrence of unusual noise. The image forming apparatus includes a driving motor configured to drive a developer bearing member and a control unit which can control the driving motor between a first driving speed and a second driving speed higher than the first driving speed. In a case where the first driving speed is equal to the driving speed of the image forming operation, the control unit controls the driving motor to drive at the second driving speed while an unsealing operation is being performed.
Claims14
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer;
- a developing blade in contact with the developer bearing member, the developing blade regulating a layer thickness of the developer on the developer bearing member;
- a development chamber including the developer bearing member;
- a developer storage chamber storing the developer and having an opening for conveying the developer to the development chamber;
- a sealing member configured to seal the opening,
- the sealing member being capable of being moved in an interlocking manner with driving of the developer bearing member to perform an unsealing operation for unsealing the opening;
- a driving motor configured to drive the developer bearing member;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the driving motor to cause the developer bearing member to drive at a first driving speed while an image forming operation is being performed,
- wherein the control unit controls the driving motor from a time before the unsealing operation starts to a starting time to drive the developer bearing member at a second driving speed higher than the first driving speed.
A control method for an image forming apparatus, the apparatus having
- a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer;
- a developing blade in contact with the developer bearing member, the developing blade regulating a layer thickness of the developer on the developer bearing member;
- a development chamber having the developer bearing member;
- a developer storage chamber storing the developer and having an opening for conveying the developer to the development chamber;
- a sealing member configured to seal the opening;
- a driving motor configured to drive the developer bearing member;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the driving motor to cause the developer bearing member to drive at a first driving speed while an image forming operation is being performed, the method comprising:
- controlling, by the control unit, the driving motor from a time before the unsealing operation starts to the starting time to drive the developer bearing member at a second driving speed higher than the first driving speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.