Image forming apparatus that removes residual charges on image carrier
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKazufumi Ishida
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer member, and a light source. The image carrier has a photoconductive layer on a surface of the image carrier. The transfer member is configured to cause a toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to be transferred to a transferee member at a transfer position of the image carrier. The light source is configured to emit light toward the surface of the image carrier after transfer of the toner image to remove residual charges on the photoconductive layer. An effective light receiving width of the image carrier in a width direction thereof is less than a width of the transfer member.
Claims18
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an image carrier having a photoconductive layer on a surface thereof;
- a transfer member configured to cause a toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to be transferred to a transferee member at a transfer position of the image carrier;
- a light source configured to emit light toward the surface of the image carrier after transfer of the toner image to remove residual charges on the photoconductive layer, an effective light receiving width of the image carrier in a width direction thereof being less than a width of the transfer member;
- and
- a cleaning blade configured to remove residual toner on the surface of the image carrier at a cleaning position after the transfer of the toner image, wherein
- the light emitted from the light source is directed to a position of the image carrier in a region from the transfer position to the cleaning position in a rotational direction of the image carrier.
An image forming method, comprising:
- forming a toner image on a surface of an image carrier having a photoconductive layer on a surface thereof;
- transferring the toner image to a transferee member at a transfer position of the image carrier pressed by a transfer member;
- irradiating the surface of the image carrier with light after transfer of the toner image to remove residual charges on the photoconductive layer, an effective light receiving width of the image carrier in a width direction thereof being less than a width of the transfer member;
- and
- removing residual toner on the surface of the image carrier at a cleaning position after the transfer of the toner image, wherein
- the light is directed to a position of the image carrier in a region from the transfer position to the cleaning position in a rotational direction of the image carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.