Image forming device and control method for generating a plurality of toner images

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10289035-B2
Application number	US-201615775763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Nov 16, 2015
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

An image forming device is provided. The image forming device may include a transfer belt to move in a preset direction, a plurality of image generators to respectively generate a toner image on the transfer belt, and a controller to output an image generation signal to each of the plurality of image generators such that the plurality of image generators respectively generate a toner image. A plurality of toner images generated using the plurality of image generators are arranged on the transfer belt in parallel to each other, and an arrangement order of the plurality of toner images is identical to an arrangement order of the plurality of image generators.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming device comprising:
a transfer belt to move in a preset direction;
a plurality of image generators to respectively generate a toner image on the transfer belt; and
a controller to output an image generation signal to each of the plurality of image generators such that each of the plurality of image generators generates a toner image,
wherein the plurality of toner images generated by the plurality of image generators are arranged on the transfer belt in parallel to each other, and an arrangement order of the plurality of toner images is identical to an arrangement order of the plurality of image generators, and
wherein the plurality of toner images are generated simultaneously by the plurality of image generators.

2. The image forming device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of toner images is partitioned into a plurality of image regions according to a concentration level.

3. The image forming device of claim 2 , further comprising an optical sensor to emit light towards the transfer belt and to sense light reflected by the plurality of toner images,
wherein the controller controls a concentration of the toner images generated using the plurality of image generators based on an intensity of the reflected light.

4. The image forming device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of toner images comprises at least one horizontal bar and at least one slash bar.

5. The image forming device of claim 4 , further comprising an optical sensor to emit light towards the transfer belt and to sense light reflected by the plurality of toner images,
wherein the controller aligns a plurality of toner images generated by using the plurality of image generators based on a pattern of the reflected light.

6. The image forming device of claim 1 , wherein the controller simultaneously outputs the image generation signal to the plurality of image generators.

7. The image forming device of claim 6 , wherein a length of a toner image generated according to the image generation signal that is simultaneously output to the plurality of image generators is equal to or less than a distance between the plurality of image generators.

8. The image forming device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of image generators comprises:
a photosensitive drum;
an exposure device to emit light to the photosensitive drum such that an electrostatic latent image is generated on the photosensitive drum; and
a developer to develop the electrostatic latent image such that a toner image is generated on the photosensitive drum.

9. The image forming device of claim 8 , wherein each of the exposure devices included in the plurality of image generators simultaneously initiates emission of light to generate an electrostatic latent image.

10. The image forming device of claim 9 , wherein each of the developers included in the plurality of image generators simultaneously develops the electrostatic latent image to generate a toner image.

11. A method of controlling an image forming device comprising a plurality of image generators each generating a toner image on a transfer belt, the method comprising:
providing an image generation signal to the plurality of image generators;
generating the plurality of toner images on the transfer belt according to the image generation signal;
emitting light towards the transfer belt and sensing light reflected by the plurality of toner images; and
performing, based on the sensed reflected light, at least one of concentration control of the plurality of toner images and alignment of the plurality of images,
wherein the plurality of toner images are arranged on the transfer belt in parallel with each other, and an arrangement order of the plurality of toner images is identical to an arrangement order of the plurality of image generators, and
wherein the plurality of toner images are generated simultaneously by the plurality of image generators.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of toner images is partitioned into a plurality of image regions according to a concentration level.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of toner images comprises at least one horizontal bar and at least one slash bar.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the providing of the image generation signal to the plurality of image generators comprises simultaneously providing the image generation signal to the plurality of image generators.

Assignees

• S Printing Solution Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jongchoon
• Lee Uichoon
• Son Jungwoo
• Lee Byoungil

Classifications

• G03G13/05

  Imagewise charging, i.e. laying-down a charge in the configuration of an original image using a modulated stream of charged particles, e.g. of corona ions, modulated by a photoconductive control screen bearing a charge pattern or by optically activated charging means · CPC title

• G03G15/01

  for producing multicoloured copies · CPC title

• G03G13/14

  Transferring a pattern to a second base · CPC title

• G03G13/01

  for multicoloured copies {(colour correction on photography G03B27/725; picture communication systems H04N1/46)} · CPC title

• G03G13/06

  Developing · CPC title