Electrophotographic apparatus and method
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKiyoshi Muto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrophotographic apparatus includes a control device for controlling a charger to start a high voltage supply operation so that a scanner unit and a photosensitive drum are simultaneously allowed to carry out a normal exposure operation and a normal photosensitizing operation, respectively. Through this control of the high voltage supply, a first print time can be shortened.
Claims14
An electrophotographic apparatus having sheet feeding means for feeding a print sheet to a transfer unit, charging means for applying a high voltage to a photosensitive drum, exposure means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said photosensitive drum, developing means for attaching toners to the electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive drum to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum, transfer means for transferring the toner image formed on said photosensitive drum onto a print sheet, and fixing means for fixing the image formed on the print sheet, wherein after a predetermined time elapses from an actuation-start time of said exposure means, said exposure means is transferred to a normal exposure operation state, and said photosensitive drum is supplied with a high voltage for a predetermined time by said charging means to homogeneously charge the surface of said photosensitive drum, so that said photosensitive drum is transferred to a normal photosensitizing operation state, the apparatus further comprising control means for determining a timing at which said charging means starts the high-voltage supply operation so that said exposure means and said photosensitive drum are simultaneously transferred to said normal exposure operation state and said normal photosensitizing operation state, respectively.
An electrophotographic apparatus comprising a charger for applying a high voltage to a photosensitive drum, and a scanner for forming an electrostatic latent image on said photosensitive drum, said scanner having a scanner motor, the apparatus comprising:
- means for measuring a rise-up time of said scanner motor;
- and
- means for applying said high voltage in accordance with the measured rise-up time.
A method of controlling an electrophotographic apparatus having sheet feeding means for feeding a print sheet to a transfer unit, charging means for applying a high voltage to a photosensitive drum, exposure means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said photosensitive drum, developing means for attaching toners to the electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive drum to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum, transfer means for transferring the toner image formed on said photosensitive drum onto a print sheet, and fixing means for fixing the image formed on the print sheet, wherein after a predetermined time elapses from an actuation-start time of said exposure means, said exposure means is transferred to a normal exposure operation state, and said photosensitive drum is supplied with a high voltage for a predetermined time by said charging means to homogeneously charge the surface of said photosensitive drum, so that said photosensitive drum is transferred to a normal photosensitizing operation state, the method comprising the step of:
- determining a timing at which said charging means starts the high-voltage supply operation so that said exposure means and said photosensitive drum are simultaneously transferred to said normal exposure operation state and said normal photosensitizing operation state, respectively.
A method of controlling an electrophotographic apparatus comprising a charger for applying a high voltage to a photosensitive drum, and a scanner for forming an electrostatic latent image on said photosensitive drum, said scanner having a scanner motor, the method comprising the steps of:
- measuring a rise-up time of said scanner motor;
- and
- applying said high voltage in accordance with the measured rise-up time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.