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US 6,477,338 B2Granted
Image formation apparatus, toner amount measurement apparatus, and toner amount measurement method
AssigneeFuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
InventorsTohru Hisano, Kaoru Yoshida, Shinichi Ohashi, Yoichi Watanabe, Kazuki Kitazawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Light is applied by a laser diode 121 onto a photosensitive roll 110 formed with a developed toner image 161, the surface potential of the photosensitive roll 110 to which the light is applied is measured with a surface potential sensor 122, and the toner amount of the developed toner image 161 on the photosensitive roll 110 is derived based on the measured surface potential.
Claims28
An image formation apparatus comprising:
- a photosensitive body;
- a first light application section for applying first light to a surface of the photosensitive body to form an electrostatic latent image;
- a developing section for depositing toner on the electrostatic latent image to develop the electrostatic latent image and form a developed image;
- a transfer section for finally transferring the developed image onto a paper, thereby forming a toner image on the paper, wherein at least any one of the photosensitive body, the first light application section, the developing section, and the transfer section conforms to an image formation condition that can be controlled;
- a second light application section for applying second light to the surface of the photosensitive body on which the toner is deposited;
- a potential measurement section for measuring a surface potential of the photosensitive body to which the light is applied by the second light application section;
- a toner amount derivation section for deriving the toner amount on the photosensitive body based on the surface potential measured by the potential measurement section;
- and
- a condition control section for controlling the image formation condition in response to the toner amount derived by the toner amount derivation section.
6 more elements
A toner amount measurement apparatus comprising:
- a light application section for applying light to a surface of a photosensitive body supporting toner on the surface;
- a potential measurement section for measuring a surface potential of the photosensitive body to which the light is applied by the light application section;
- and
- a toner amount derivation section for deriving the toner amount on the photosensitive body based on the surface potential measured by the potential measurement section.
1 more element
A toner amount measurement method comprising:
- applying light to a surface of a photosensitive body supporting toner on the surface;
- measuring a surface potential of the photosensitive body to which the light is applied at the light application step;
- and
- deriving the toner amount on the photosensitive body based on the surface potential measured at the potential measurement step.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.