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US 8,577,236 B2Granted
Reducing reload image quality defects
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsW. Bradford Willard, Brian Robert Conrow, Kimberly Anne Stoll
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a sensor that is configured to detect a property of a developer material, a transport unit that is operatively in contact with the developer material and that is configured to move the developer material toward a recording medium, and a controller that receives the property of the developer material from the sensor unit and sets a voltage of the transport unit, wherein the voltage is determined based on the property of the developer material received from the sensor.
Claims22
A developing station of an image forming apparatus, the developing station comprising:
- a sensor configured to detect a property of a developer material residing in a housing;
- a transport unit within the housing that is operatively in contact with the developer material residing in the housing, the transport unit being configured to move the developer material residing in the housing toward a recording medium outside the housing;
- a power supply configured to apply a voltage to the transport unit;
- and
- a controller configured to receive the property of the developer material residing in the housing detected by the sensor and further configured to change, based upon the property of the developer material detected by the sensor, the voltage applied to the transport unit by the power supply, wherein:
- the property of the developer material residing in the housing is toner age calculated as a mean residence time that toner resides in the housing,
- an alternating current potential may be set at a maximum potential when the toner age is less than a high threshold and the alternating current potential may be set at a nominal potential when the toner age is greater than a low threshold, and
- when toner age is between the high and the low thresholds, the controller can linearly decrease the alternating current potential as the toner age increases.
5 more elements
A developing system for forming an image comprising:
- a means for detecting a property of a developer material residing in a housing;
- a means within the housing for moving the developer material residing in the housing towards a recording medium outside the housing;
- a means for applying a voltage to the means for moving the developer material;
- and
- a means for changing the voltage applied to the means for moving the developer material by the means for applying a voltage based upon the property of the developer material residing in the housing detected by the means for detecting wherein the property of the developer material residing in the housing is toner age calculated as a mean residence time that toner resides in the housing, and wherein the means for changing the voltage sets an alternating current potential at a maximum potential when the toner age is less than a high threshold and sets the alternating current potential at a nominal potential when the toner age is greater than a low threshold, and when toner age is between the high and the low thresholds, the means for changing the voltage can linearly decrease the alternating current potential as the toner age increases.
2 more elements
A method for developing an image comprising:
- detecting with a sensor a property of a developer material residing in a housing;
- moving with a transport unit the developer material residing in the housing towards a recording medium outside the housing;
- applying with a power supply a voltage to the transport unit;
- and
- changing with a controller the voltage applied to the transport unit by the power supply based upon the property of the developer material residing in the housing detected by the sensor wherein the property of the developer material residing in the housing is toner age calculated as a mean residence time that toner resides in the housing, and wherein changing the voltage of the transport unit includes setting an alternating current potential at a maximum potential when the toner age is less than a high threshold, setting the alternating current potential at a nominal potential when the toner age is greater than a low threshold, and when toner age is between the high and the low thresholds, changing the voltage includes linearly decreasing the alternating current potential as the toner age increases.
2 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store a program for operating a developing station of an image forming apparatus, the program configured to cause the developing station to perform steps of:
- detecting with a sensor a property of a developer material residing in a housing;
- moving with a transport unit the developer material residing in the housing towards a recording medium outside the housing;
- applying with a power supply a voltage to the transport unit;
- and
- changing with a controller the voltage applied to the transport unit by the power supply based upon the property of the developer material residing in the housing detected by the sensor wherein the property of the developer material residing in the housing is toner age calculated as a mean residence time that toner resides in the housing, and wherein changing the voltage of the transport unit includes setting an alternating current potential at a maximum potential when the toner age is less than a high threshold, setting the alternating current potential at a nominal potential when the toner age is greater than a low threshold, and when toner age is between the high and the low thresholds, changing the voltage includes linearly decreasing the alternating current potential as the toner age increases.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.