# US 9,753,394 B2 · Image forming device, control method for image forming device, and control program for image forming device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,753,394 B2 - Document ID: US9753394B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/159,195 - Filed: 2016-05-19 - Published: 2016-12-15 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-09 - Assignees: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Applicants: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Inventors: Kanji Nakayama; Shinichi Yoshimoto; Junji Kanda; Yasuyuki Inada; Yuusuke Mandai; Yu Mukobayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753394B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/0266: {Arrangements for controlling the amount of charge} - G03G 15/065: {Arrangements for controlling the potential of the developing electrode} - G03G 21/14: Electronic sequencing control - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming device includes: a charging unit configured to apply charging bias voltage to a charging member and charge a surface of an image carrying body; an exposure unit configured to expose the surface of the image carrying body, and form an electrostatic latent image; a developing unit configured to apply developing bias voltage to a developer carrying body, and develop the electrostatic latent image; and a control unit configured to control timing to start applying the developing bias voltage relative to timing to start applying the charging bias voltage, wherein the control unit performs control such that the larger an absolute value of the charging bias voltage is, the shorter an interval from timing to start applying the charging bias voltage to timing to start applying the developing bias voltage becomes, and such that the smaller the absolute value is, the longer the interval becomes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming device comprising: a charging unit configured to apply charging bias voltage to a charging member and charge a surface of an image carrying body; an exposure unit configured to expose the surface of the image carrying body charged by the charging unit to attenuate potential, and form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrying body; a developing unit of a two-component development system configured to apply, to a developer carrying body, developing bias voltage having homopolarity with polarity of the charging bias voltage, and develop the electrostatic latent image; and a control unit configured to control timing to start applying the developing bias voltage relative to timing to start applying the charging bias voltage in accordance with a value of the charging bias voltage applied during image forming, wherein the control unit performs control such that the larger an absolute value of the charging bias voltage is, the shorter an interval from timing to start applying the charging bias voltage to timing to start applying the developing bias voltage becomes, and performs control such that the smaller the absolute value of the charging bias voltage is, the longer the interval becomes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein an upper limit value of the interval is preliminarily set, and the control unit performs control such that the interval becomes the upper limit value when the absolute value of the charging bias voltage is smaller than a value corresponding to the upper limit value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising a target value determining unit configured to determine a target value of surface potential of the image carrying body during image forming based on a target value of the developing bias voltage applied during image forming, wherein the charging unit determines the charging bias voltage based on the target value of surface potential determined by the target value determining unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the charging unit charges the surface of the image carrying body by a roller charging system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control such that the larger a maximum absolute value of the charging bias voltage during image forming is, the shorter the interval becomes, and the control unit performs control such that the smaller the maximum absolute value of the charging bias voltage during image forming is, the longer the interval becomes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the charging bias voltage is direct current bias voltage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the developing unit applies the developing bias voltage in a manner increasing the absolute value of the developing bias voltage stepwisely, and a value of the developing bias voltage to be applied in a first step after starting applying the developing bias voltage is a value offset by a predetermined amount relative to a target value of surface potential of the image carrying body during image forming. ### Claim 8 A control method for an image forming device comprising: a charging unit configured to apply charging bias voltage to a charging member and charge a surface of an image carrying body; an exposure unit configured to expose the surface of the image carrying body charged by the charging unit to attenuate potential, and form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrying body; and a developing unit of a two-component development system configured to apply, to a developer carrying body, developing bias voltage having homopolarity with polarity of the charging bias voltage, and develop the electrostatic latent image, the control method comprising: a determining step of determining a value of the charging bias voltage to be applied during image forming; and a controlling step of controlling timing to start applying the developing bias voltage relative to timing to start applying the charging bias voltage in accordance with the value of the charging bias voltage determined in the determining step, wherein, in the controlling step, control is performed such that the larger an absolute value of the charging bias voltage is, the shorter an interval from timing to start applying the charging bias voltage to timing to start applying the developing bias voltage becomes, and control is performed such that the smaller the absolute value of the charging bias voltage is, the longer the interval becomes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The control method according to claim 8, wherein an upper limit value of the interval is preliminarily set, and in the controlling step, control is performed such that the interval becomes the upper limit value when the absolute value of the charging bias voltage is smaller than a value corresponding to the upper limit value. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable control program for an image forming device comprising: a charging unit configured to apply charging bias voltage to a charging member and charge a surface of an image carrying body; an exposure unit configured to expose the surface of the image carrying body charged by the charging unit to attenuate potential, and form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrying body; and a developing unit of a two-component development system configured to apply, to a developer carrying body, developing bias voltage having homopolarity with polarity of the charging bias voltage, and develop the electrostatic latent image, the control program causing a computer to execute: a determining step of determining a value of the charging bias voltage applied during image forming; and a controlling step of controlling timing to start applying the developing bias voltage relative to timing to start applying the charging bias voltage in accordance with the value of the charging bias voltage determined in the determining step, wherein, in the controlling step, control is performed such that the larger an absolute value of the charging bias voltage is, the shorter an interval from timing to start applying the charging bias voltage to timing to start applying the developing bias voltage becomes, and control is performed such that the smaller the absolute value of the charging bias voltage is, the longer the interval becomes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 10, wherein an upper limit value of the interval is preliminarily set, and in the controlling step, control is performed such that the interval becomes the upper limit value when the absolute value of the charging bias voltage is smaller than a value corresponding to the upper limit value.