Image forming method and device
AssigneesMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Array Printers AB
InventorsKatsutoshi Ogawa, Yoshitaka Kitaoka, Akira Kumon, Masahiro Aizawa, Hiroyuki Matsuo, Akira Fukano, Akira Ryoji
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an image forming device wherein printing is accomplished such that passing of charged toners fed from a developer roller 2 through a plurality of openings 14 is controlled by control electrodes 16 of an aperture electrode 12 in accordance with image signals, toners held on the developer roller 2 are caused to reach the vicinity of the openings 14, by inputting a predetermined signal to the control electrodes 16 of the aperture electrode 12, at least once during the period when no image forming action in accordance with the prescribed image signals is performed.
Claims19
An image forming method implemented by using an image forming device having, at least in the following order, a developer holding means that holds and conveys a charged developer, a plurality of developer passing apertures through which the developer is passed, a developer passing controller for controlling passing of the developer that is fed from the developer holding means in accordance with image signals inputted from outside, and an image receiver on which the developer that has passed through said apertures is received, including a process of:
- cleaning, wherein the developer that is held on said developer holding means is caused to reach the vicinity of said developer passing apertures at least once, by inputting a predetermined signal to said developer passing controller, during a period when no image forming operation in accordance with prescribed image signals is performed.
An image forming device comprising:
- a charging device for providing a developer with charges to form a charged developer;
- a developer holding means for holding and conveying said charged developer;
- a backside electrode means for receiving said charged developer either directly or indirectly;
- an aperture electrode means disposed between said developer holding means and backside electrode means, having a plurality of developer passing apertures and control electrodes that are independently formed at least partly either inside the developer passing apertures or on the periphery of said developer passing apertures;
- and
- a cleaning voltage supply means for applying a voltage to said control electrodes, the voltage being high enough to cause the charged developer to leave said developer holding means and to reach the vicinity of said developer passing apertures.
An image forming method implemented by using an image forming device having, at least in the following order, a developer holding means that holds and conveys a charged developer, a plurality of developer passing apertures through which the developer is passed, a developer passing controller for controlling passing of the developer that is fed from the developer holding means in accordance with image signals inputted from outside, and an image receiver on which the developer that has passed through said apertures is received, comprising the steps of:
- a first cleaning process wherein the developer that is held on said developer holding means is caused to reach the vicinity of said developer passing apertures, by inputting a predetermined signal to said developer passing controller, during a period when no image forming operation in accordance with said image signals is performed;
- and
- a second cleaning process wherein the developer in the vicinity of the developer passing apertures is caused to reach said developer holding means.
An image forming device comprising:
- a charging device for providing a developer with charges to form a charged developer;
- a developer holding means for holding and conveying said charged developer;
- a backside electrode means for receiving said charged developer either directly or indirectly;
- an aperture electrode means disposed between said developer holding means and backside electrode means, having a plurality of developer passing apertures and control electrodes that are independently formed at least partly either inside the developer passing apertures or on the periphery of said developer passing apertures;
- and
- a cleaning voltage supply means for successively applying a voltage to said control electrodes high enough to cause the charged developer to leave said developer holding means and to reach the vicinity of said developer passing apertures, and a voltage high enough to cause the charged developer to leave the vicinity of said developer passing apertures and to reach said developer holding means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.