Electrophotographic image forming apparatus having a humidity control function
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorMasaaki Yamada
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a charging device including charging means positioned to face the circumference of a photoconductive drum and a casing member surrounding the charging means. A solid, high-molecular electrolytic film is mounted on the casing member with one surface facing the inside of the casing member and the other surface facing the outside of the same. A porous cathode is mounted on one surface of the electrolytic film, which faces the inside of the casing member, and connected to the cathode of a power supply. A porous anode is mounted on the other surface of the electrolytic film, which faces the outside of the casing member, and connected to the anode of the power supply.
Claims44
A charging device comprising:
- charging means positioned to face a circumference of a photoconductive element;
- a casing member surrounding said charging means;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said casing member with one surface facing an inside of said casing member and the other surface facing an outside of said casing member;
- a porous cathode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said casing member, and connected to a cathode of a power supply;
- and
- a porous anode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said casing member, and connected to an anode of the power supply.
An image transferring device comprising:
- image transferring means positioned to face a circumference of a photoconductive element;
- a casing member surrounding said image transferring means;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said casing member with one surface facing an inside of said casing member and the other surface facing an outside of said casing member;
- a porous cathode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said casing member, and connected to a cathode of a power supply;
- and
- a porous anode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said casing member, and connected to an anode of the power supply.
A developing device comprising:
- a toner case storing a toner;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said toner case with one surface facing an inside of said toner case and the other surface facing an outside of said toner case;
- a porous cathode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said toner case, and connected to a cathode of a power supply;
- and
- a porous anode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said toner case, and connected to an anode of the power supply.
A sheet discharging device comprising:
- a print tray to which a recording medium passed through a fixing device is discharged;
- a casing member surrounding at least either one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the recording medium discharged to said print tray;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said casing member with one surface facing an inside of said casing member and the other surface facing an outside of said casing member;
- a porous cathode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said casing member, and connected to a cathode of a power supply;
- and
- a porous anode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said casing member, and connected to an anode of the power supply.
In an image forming apparatus for exposing a circumference of a photoconductive element, which is charged by a charging device, to thereby form a latent image, causing a developing device to develop said latent image with a toner to thereby produce a corresponding toner image, causing an image transferring device to transfer said toner image to a recording medium, causing a fixing device to fix said toner image on said recording medium, and discharging said recording medium with said toner image fixed to a sheet discharging device, said charging device comprising:
- charging means positioned to face a circumference of the photoconductive element;
- a casing member surrounding said charging means;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said casing member with one surface facing an inside of said casing member and the other surface facing an outside of said casing member;
- a porous cathode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said casing member, and connected to a cathode of a power supply;
- and
- a porous anode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said casing member, and connected to an anode of the power supply.
In an image forming apparatus for exposing a circumference of a photoconductive element, which is charged by a charging device, to thereby form a latent image, causing a developing device to develop said latent image with a toner to thereby produce a corresponding toner image, causing an image transferring device to transfer said toner image to a recording medium, causing a fixing device to fix said toner image on said recording medium, and discharging said recording medium with said toner image fixed to a sheet discharging device, said image transferring device comprising:
- image transferring means positioned to face the circumference of the photoconductive element;
- a casing member surrounding said image transferring means;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said casing member with one surface facing an inside of said casing member and the other surface facing an outside of said casing member;
- a porous cathode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said casing member, and connected to a cathode of a power supply;
- and
- a porous anode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said casing member, and connected to an anode of the power supply.
In an image forming apparatus for exposing a circumference of a photoconductive element, which is charged by a charging device, to thereby form a latent image, causing a developing device to develop said latent image with a toner to thereby produce a corresponding toner image, causing an image transferring device to transfer said toner image to a recording medium, causing a fixing device to fix said toner image on said recording medium, and discharging said recording medium with said toner image fixed to a sheet discharging device, said developing device comprising:
- a toner case storing the toner;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said toner case with one surface facing an inside of said toner case and the other surface facing an outside of said toner case;
- a porous cathode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said toner case, and connected to a cathode of a power supply;
- and
- a porous anode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said toner case, and connected to an anode of the power supply.
In an image forming apparatus for exposing a circumference of a photoconductive element, which is charged by a charging device, to thereby form a latent image, causing a developing device to develop said latent image with a toner to thereby produce a corresponding toner image, causing an image transferring device to transfer said toner image to a recording medium, causing a fixing device to fix said toner image on said recording medium, and discharging said recording medium with said toner image fixed to a sheet discharging device, said sheet discharging device comprising:
- a print tray to which the recording medium passed through the fixing device is discharged;
- a casing member surrounding at least either one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the recording medium discharged to said print tray;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said casing member with one surface facing an inside of said casing member and the other surface facing an outside of said casing member;
- a porous cathode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said casing member, and connected to a cathode of a power supply;
- and
- a porous anode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said casing member, and connected to an anode of the power supply.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming a latent image on an image carrier by exposing said image carrier, developing said latent image with a toner to thereby produce a corresponding toner image, and transferring said toner image to a recording medium, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- charging means positioned to face a circumference of the image carrier;
- a casing member surrounding said charging means;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said casing member with one surface facing an inside of said casing member and the other surface facing an outside of said casing member;
- a porous first electrode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said casing member, and connected to one electrode of a power supply;
- a porous second electrode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said casing member, and connected to the other electrode of the power supply;
- a humidity sensor responsive to humidity in said casing member;
- and
- control means for selectively applying a voltage to said first porous electrode and said second porous electrode and switching a polarity of said voltage in accordance with an output of said humidity sensor.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming a latent image on an image carrier by exposing said image carrier, developing said latent image with a toner to thereby produce a corresponding toner image, and transferring said toner image to a recording medium, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- image transferring means positioned to face a circumference of the image carrier;
- a casing member surrounding said image transferring means;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said casing member with one surface facing an inside of said casing member and the other surface facing an outside of said casing member;
- a porous first electrode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said casing member, and connected to one electrode of a power supply;
- a porous second electrode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said casing member, and connected to the other electrode of the power supply;
- a humidity sensor responsive to humidity in said casing member;
- and
- control means for selectively applying a voltage to said first porous electrode and said second porous electrode and switching a polarity of said voltage in accordance with an output of said humidity sensor.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming a latent image on an image carrier by exposing said image carrier, developing said latent image with a toner to thereby produce a corresponding toner image, and transferring said toner image to a recording medium, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- a toner case storing the toner;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on said toner case with one surface facing an inside of said toner case and the other surface facing an outside of said toner case;
- a porous first electrode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said toner case, and connected to one electrode of a power supply;
- a porous second electrode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said toner case, and connected to the other electrode of the power supply;
- a humidity sensor responsive to humidity in said toner case;
- and
- control means for selectively applying a voltage to said first porous electrode and said second porous electrode and switching a polarity of said voltage in accordance with an output of said humidity sensor.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming a latent image on an image carrier by exposing said image carrier, developing said latent image with a toner to thereby produce a corresponding toner image, and transferring said toner image to a recording medium, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- a storing section storing the recording medium;
- a solid, high-molecular electrolytic film mounted on a wall of said storing section with one surface facing an inside of said storing section case and the other surface facing an outside of said storing section case;
- a porous first electrode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the inside of said storing section case, and connected to one electrode of a power supply;
- a porous second electrode mounted on a surface of said electrolytic film, which faces the outside of said storing section, and connected to the other electrode of the power supply;
- a humidity sensor responsive to humidity in said storing section;
- and
- control means for selectively applying a voltage to said first porous electrode and said second porous electrode and switching a polarity of said voltage in accordance with an output of said humidity sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.