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US 7,804,513 B2Granted
Optical writing unit, image forming apparatus, process cartridge, and method of adjusting light intensity
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorKoji Masuda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical writing unit includes a light-emitting-element array in which a plurality of light emitting elements is arranged and an optical system that guides light flux emitted from the light emitting elements as a light spot. A result of comparison of a property value of the light emitting elements at a predetermined threshold in an exposure intensity distribution of the light emitting elements is within a preset range over an entire effective image area. An emission condition of the light emitting elements is set such that a fluctuation of amounts of exposure of the light emitting elements or a result of comparison of the amounts of exposure does not exceed a preset range over the entire effective image area.
Claims14
An optical writing unit, comprising:
- a light-emitting-element array including a plurality of individual light emitting elements that are arranged;
- and
- an optical system that guides light flux emitted from the light emitting elements as a light spot, wherein
- an emission condition of each of the individual light emitting elements is individually set, such that a result of comparison of a property value of the light emitting elements at a predetermined threshold in an exposure intensity distribution of the light emitting elements is within a preset range over an entire effective image area, and such that
- an amount of fluctuation of exposure of the light emitting elements or a result of comparison of the amounts of exposure does not exceed a preset range over the entire effective image area.
2 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising an image forming process unit including a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a fixing unit, wherein
- the exposure unit includes a light-emitting-element array including a plurality of individual light emitting elements that are arranged and an optical system that guides light flux emitted from the light emitting elements as a light spot,
- an emission condition of each of the light emitting elements is individually set based on light intensity correction data, such that a result of comparison of a property value of the light emitting elements at a predetermined threshold in an exposure intensity distribution of the light emitting elements is within a preset range over an entire effective image area, and such that
- an amount of fluctuation of exposure of the light emitting elements or a result of comparison of the amounts of exposure does not exceed a preset range over the entire effective image area.
A process cartridge, comprising:
- an exposure unit that is integrally held with the process cartridge and any one of an image carrier, a charging unit, and a developing unit, and is detachably mounted on a main unit of an image forming apparatus, wherein
- an emission condition of each of the light emitting elements is individually set based on light intensity correction data, such that a result of comparison of a property value of the light emitting elements at a predetermined threshold in an exposure intensity distribution of the light emitting elements is within a preset range over an entire effective image area, and such that
- an amount of fluctuation of exposure of the light emitting elements or a result of comparison of the amounts of exposure does not exceed a preset range over the entire effective image area.
A method of adjusting light intensity, comprising:
- extracting a first emission condition that makes amounts of exposure of individual light emitting elements of a plurality of light emitting elements identical, the first emission condition being temporary light-intensity correction data;
- emitting the light emitting elements using the temporary light-intensity correction data;
- measuring the property value of the light emitting elements at a predetermined threshold in an exposure intensity distribution of the light emitting elements;
- setting a result of comparison of the property value of the light emitting elements as a correction target value;
- extracting a second emission condition to achieve a correction target value, the second emission condition being light-intensity correction data;
- and
- setting an emission condition of each of the light emitting elements individually based on the light-intensity correction data, such that a result of comparison of a property value of the light emitting elements at a predetermined threshold in an exposure intensity distribution of the light emitting elements is within a preset range over an entire effective image area, and an amount of fluctuation of exposure of the light emitting elements or a result of comparison of the amounts of exposure does not exceed a preset range over the entire effective image area.
4 more elements
An optical writing unit, comprising:
- a light-emitting-element array including a plurality of individual light emitting elements that are arranged;
- and
- an optical system that guides light flux emitted from the light emitting elements as a light spot, wherein
- a result of comparison of a property value of the light emitting elements at a predetermined threshold in an exposure intensity distribution of the light emitting elements is within a preset range over an entire effective image area, and such that
- an amount of fluctuation of exposure of the light emitting elements or a result of comparison of the amounts of exposure does not exceed a preset range over the entire effective image area,
- wherein the result of comparison of the property value is a moving average of twenty one sequential light emitting elements.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.