Image forming apparatus having a plurality of developing devices
AssigneeMinolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHideo Ito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Copying apparatus having a movable developing unit provided with a plurality of developing devices. This copying apparatus measures the mechanical characteristics of the drive mechanism driving the developing unit and determines if these characteristics deviate from normal values, and the drive signals transmitted to the drive mechanism are adjusted in accordance with the results of the measurement.
Claims16
In an image forming apparatus comprising a movable developing unit on which a plurality of developing devices are mounted, a motor which drives the developing unit, and a driving circuit which controls an operation of the motor in accordance with a driving signal, a method of adjusting the driving signal comprising the steps of:
- feeding a predetermined driving signal to the driving circuit;
- driving the motor in accordance with the predetermined signal to position a designated one of the developing devices at a developing position;
- measuring a movement of the developing unit driven by the motor and generating an adjusting coefficient based on a result of the measurement;
- and
- adjusting the driving signal by use of the adjusting coefficient.
In an image forming apparatus comprising a movable developing unit on which a plurality of developing devices are mounted, a method comprising the steps of:
- feeding a predetermined driving signal to a driving motor which drives the developing unit to position a designated one of the developing devices at a developing position;
- driving the motor in accordance with the predetermined signal;
- measuring an actual movement of the developing unit driven by the motor;
- and
- adjusting the driving signal in accordance with a result of said measurement.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a developing unit on which a plurality of developing devices are mounted;
- supporting means for movably supporting the developing unit;
- driving means, responsive to a driving signal, for driving said supporting means so as to position a designated one of the developing devices at a developing position;
- signal feeding means for feeding the driving signal to the driving means;
- measuring means for measuring the actual movement of the developing unit driven in response to the driving signal;
- and
- adjusting means for adjusting the driving signal based on a result of the measurement by the measuring means.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- photosensitive member;
- image forming means for forming an electrostatic image on the photosensitive member;
- developing unit on which a plurality of developing devices are mounted, each of said developing devices including different toners in color;
- designating means for designating one of developing devices which is used for developing the electrostatic image on the photosensitive member;
- driving mechanism which supports the developing unit movable along a predetermined path and drives the developing unit so as to position the designated developing unit at a developing position where the designated developing device faces the photosensitive member, said driving mechanism including a drive motor which propels the developing unit in response to a driving signal;
- measuring means for measuring a driving characteristic of said driving mechanism;
- and
- adjusting means for adjusting the driving signal based on a result of the measurement by the measuring means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.