Discharging method for latent image bearer and image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsRyouhei Ohi, Takafumi Miyazaki, Yuuji Meguro, Yasuhiro Fujiwara
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Abstract
A discharging method used in an image forming apparatus includes discharging, with an exposure device, an exposure range of the latent image bearer, and discharging, with a discharger, an area of the latent image bearer outside the exposure range and inside a developing range in a main scanning direction. The exposure range is inside the developing range in the main scanning direction. The discharging with the exposure device and the discharging with the discharger are performed when a rotation of the latent image bearer is stopped after a toner image is transferred from the latent image bearer.
Claims11
A discharging method used in an image forming apparatus including a latent image bearer, an exposure device to expose the latent image bearer to form an electrostatic latent image on the latent image bearer, and a discharger different from the exposure device,
- the discharging method comprising:
- discharging, with the exposure device, an exposure range of the latent image bearer, the exposure range inside a developing range in a main scanning direction;
- and
- discharging, with the discharger, an area of the latent image bearer outside the exposure range and inside the developing range in the main scanning direction,
- wherein the discharging with the exposure device and the discharging with the discharger are performed when a rotation of the latent image bearer is stopped after a toner image is transferred from the latent image bearer.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a latent image bearer to rotate;
- a charger to charge the latent image bearer uniformly;
- an exposure device to expose an exposure range of the latent image bearer to form an electrostatic latent image on the latent image bearer;
- a developing device to develop, in a developing range, the electrostatic latent image with developer into a toner image, the developing range wider than the exposure range in a main scanning direction;
- a transfer device to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a transfer medium;
- and
- a discharger different from the exposure device, to discharge the latent image bearer,
- wherein the exposure device and the discharger discharges the latent image bearer when rotation of the latent image bearer is stopped after the transfer device transfers the toner image,
- wherein the exposure device discharges the exposure range inside the developing range in the main scanning direction, and
- wherein the discharger discharges an area of the latent image bearer outside the exposure range and inside the developing range in the main scanning direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.