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US 6,151,460 AGranted
Image recording device having a developing bias voltage output circuit
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYukichi Sawaki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image recording unit is provided with a developing bias voltage output circuit for outputting a developing bias voltage to a developing unit, to thereby cause the developing unit to develop, using toner, an electrostatic latent image, formed on an electrically-charged body, into a visible toner image. A CPU serves to output a developing bias voltage control signal to a developing bias voltage varying circuit. The CPU outputs a developing bias voltage control signal based on manual key operations performed by a user. In response to the developing bias voltage control signal, the developing bias voltage varying circuit controls the developing bias voltage output circuit to change the developing bias voltage to be outputted therefrom.
Claims25
An image recording device, comprising:
- a recording unit developing an electrostatic latent image, formed on an electrically-charged body, into a toner visible image and transferring the toner visible image onto a recording sheet, thereby recording the toner visible image on the recording sheet;
- a developing bias voltage output circuit outputting a developing bias voltage to the recording unit;
- a toner fogging detection unit detecting a degree of toner fogging resulted by the recording unit, the toner fogging detection unit including a density sensor that detects a density of the recording sheet onto which the toner visible image has been recorded by the recording unit, the density sensor detecting the density on the recording sheet at a predetermined non-recorded region that is located outside of a region where toner visible images are recorded by the recording unit;
- a developing bias voltage control signal output unit automatically outputting a developing bias voltage control signal when the detected toner fogging degree determined by the detected density reaches a predetermined degree;
- and
- a developing bias voltage varying unit varying the developing bias voltage, to be outputted from the developing bias voltage output circuit, based on the developing bias voltage control signal.
3 more elements
An image recording device, comprising:
- a recording unit developing an electrostatic latent image, formed on an electrically-charged body, into a toner visible image;
- a developing bias voltage output circuit outputting a developing bias voltage to the recording unit;
- an input device enabling a user to input his/her desire to change the developing bias voltage;
- a developing bias voltage control signal output unit outputting a developing bias voltage control signal in response to an input of the user's desire to change the developing bias voltage;
- and
- a developing bias voltage varying unit varying the developing bias voltage, to be outputted from the developing bias voltage output circuit, in a range defined between a predetermined minimum value and a predetermined maximum value, the developing bias voltage varying unit varying the developing bias voltage by a predetermined unit value in response to the developing bias voltage control signal.
3 more elements
An image recording device, comprising:
- a recording unit developing an electrostatic latent image, formed on an electrically-charged body, into a toner visible image;
- a developing bias voltage output circuit outputting a developing bias voltage to the recording unit;
- a toner fogging detection unit detecting a degree of toner fogging resulted by the recording unit;
- a developing bias voltage control signal output unit automatically outputting a first developing bias voltage control signal when the detected toner fogging degree reaches a predetermined degree;
- a developing bias voltage varying unit varying the developing bias voltage, to be outputted from the developing bias voltage output circuit, based on the developing bias voltage control signal;
- and
- an input device enabling a user to input his/her desire to further change the developing bias voltage, the developing bias voltage control signal output unit outputting a second developing bias voltage control signal in response to an input of the user's desire to further change the developing bias voltage.
4 more elements
An image recording device, comprising:
- a recording unit developing an electrostatic latent image, formed on an electrically-charge body, into a toner visible image;
- a developing bias voltage output circuit outputting a developing bias voltage to the recording unit;
- a toner fogging detection unit detecting a degree of toner fogging resulted by the recording unit;
- a developing bias voltage control signal output unit automatically outputting a developing bias voltage control signal when the detected toner fogging degree reaches a predetermined degree;
- and
- a developing bias voltage varying unit varying the developing bias voltage, to be outputted from the developing bias voltage output circuit, based on the developing bias voltage control signal, the developing bias voltage varying unit varying the developing bias voltage by a predetermined unit value in response to each developing bias voltage control signal.
3 more elements
An image recording device, comprising:
- a recording unit developing an electrostatic latent image, formed to an electrically-charged body, into a toner visible image, to thereby perform a recording operation;
- a developing bias voltage output circuit outputting a developing bias voltage to the recording unit;
- a toner fogging detection unit detecting a degree of a toner fogging resulted by the recording unit;
- a developing bias voltage control signal output unit automatically outputting a developing bias voltage control signal each time the detected result by the toner fogging detection unit indicates that the toner fogging degree reaches one of a plurality of predetermined degrees;
- an informing unit that informs a user of a need to exchange the recording unit with a new recording unit when the detected result by the toner fogging detection unit indicates that the toner fogging degree reaches a predetermined threshold degree;
- a developing bias voltage varying unit varying the developing bias voltage, to be outputted from the developing bias voltage output circuit, based on the developing bias voltage control signal, the developing bias voltage varying unit varying the developing bias voltage by one of a plurality of unit values, in response to each developing bias voltage control signal, thereby varying the developing bias voltage in a predetermined range, the plurality of unit values being equal to at least one of a plurality of different values, and allowing the developing bias voltage to have a valve equal to a predetermined limit voltage, which is defined within the predetermined range, when the detected result by the toner fogging detection unit indicates that the toner fogging degree reaches the predetermined threshold degree.
3 more elements
An image recording device, comprising:
- a recording unit developing an electrostatic latent image, formed on an electrically-charged body, into a toner visible image, to thereby perform a recording operation;
- a developing bias voltage output circuit outputting a developing bias voltage to the recording unit;
- a recording number count unit counting a number of times the recording unit has performed the recording operation;
- a developing bias voltage control signal output unit automatically outputting a developing bias voltage control signal every time the number counted by the recording number count unit indicates that a total number of times that the recording unit has performed the recording operation reaches one of a plurality of predetermined values;
- an informing unit that informs a user of a need to exchange the recording unit with a new recording unit when the counted number indicates that the total number of times that the recording unit has performed the recording operation reaches a predetermined threshold value;
- and
- a developing bias voltage varying unit varying the developing bias voltage, to be outputted from the developing bias voltage output circuit, based on the developing bias voltage control signal, the developing bias voltage varying unit varying the developing bias voltage by one of a plurality of unit values, in response to each developing bias voltage control signal, thereby varying the developing bias voltage in a predetermined range, the plurality of unit values being equal to at least one of a plurality of different values, and allowing the developing bias voltage to have a equal to a predetermined limit voltage, which is defined within the predetermined range, when the counted number indicates that the total number of times that the recording unit has performed the recording operation reaches the predetermined threshold value.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.