Method of measuring and adjusting density of liquid developer by detecting movement of moving member in light path
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsTeruyuki Inukai, Toru Tanjo, Tsutomu Sasaki, Ken Ikuma
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of measuring density includes detecting movement of a moving member in a light path of light emitted from a light emitting member, measuring an output of a light receiving member for a case where the moving member is moved in the light path, as a first output, detecting that the moving member is not in the light path, measuring an output of the light receiving member for a case where the moving member is not in the light path, as a second output, and calculating density based on the first output and the second output.
Claims16
A method of measuring density comprising:
- detecting movement of a moving member in a single unaltered light path of light emitted from a light emitting member;
- measuring an output of a light receiving member for a case where the moving member is moved in the single unaltered light path, as a first output;
- detecting that the moving member is moved out of the single unaltered light path previously occupied by the moving member;
- measuring an output of the light receiving member for a case where the moving member is moved out of the single unaltered light path, as a second output;
- and
- calculating density based on the first output and the second output.
A method of adjusting density of a liquid developer storing unit, the method comprising:
- measuring an output of a light receiving member for a case where a moving member is moved in a single unaltered light path of light emitted from a light emitting member of a liquid developer storing unit that stores liquid developer having solids and a liquid carrier, as a first output;
- measuring an output of the light receiving member for a case where the moving member is moved out of the single unaltered light path previously occupied by the moving member, as a second output;
- calculating density of the solids of the liquid developer based on the first output and the second output;
- and
- supplying the liquid developer or the carrier liquid to the inside of the liquid developer storing unit in accordance with the calculated density of the solids.
An image forming method comprising:
- supplying liquid developer having solids and a liquid carrier which is stored in a developer container from a developer supplying member to a developer carrier;
- developing a latent image on an image carrier by using the liquid developer carried on the developer carrier;
- transferring the image of the image carrier by using a transfer member;
- collecting the liquid developer from the developer container into the liquid developer storing unit;
- detecting that a moving member is moved in a single unaltered light path of light emitted from a light emitting member of the liquid developer storing unit;
- measuring an output of the light receiving member for a case where the moving member is moved in the single unaltered light path, as a first output;
- detecting that the moving member is moved out of the single unaltered light path previously occupied by the moving member;
- measuring an output of the light receiving member for a case where the moving member is moved out of the single unaltered light path, as a second output;
- calculating density of the solids of the liquid developer based on the first output and the second output;
- and
- changing an image forming condition based on the calculated density of the solids.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.