Optical writing device, image forming apparatus, and method for controlling optical writing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9245217-B2
Application number	US-201213572937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2012
Priority date	Aug 19, 2011
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

An optical writing device forms an electrostatic latent image and includes a pixel-information acquiring unit that acquires pixel information and stores the acquired pixel information in a storage medium with respect to each main scanning line; a tilt correcting unit that generates a tilt correction signal specifying a main scanning line from which the pixel information to be input to a light source is read out from the storage medium in order to correct a tilt of the electrostatic latent image; a position correcting unit that generates a position correction signal specifying a timing to input the pixel information to the light source in order to correct a position of the electrostatic latent image; and a pixel-information-input control unit that controls input of the pixel information from the storage medium to the light source in response to the tilt correction signal and the position correction signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical writing device that forms an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor, the optical writing device comprising:
a pixel-information acquiring unit that
acquires pixel information corresponding to pixels of an image to be formed as the electrostatic latent image, and
stores the acquired pixel information in a storage medium with respect to each main scanning line;

a tilt correcting unit that generates a tilt correction signal specifying a main scanning line from which the pixel information is read out of the storage medium and inputted to a light source, which exposes the photoreceptor to light, in order to correct a tilt of the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor;
a position correcting unit that generates a position correction signal specifying a timing to input the pixel information to the light source in order to correct a position of the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor in a sub-scanning direction; and
a pixel-information-input control unit that controls input of the pixel information from the storage medium to the light source in response to the tilt correction signal and the position correction signal,
wherein the pixel-information-input control unit adjusts input timing of the pixel-information to the light source, by adjusting the input timing of the pixel-information to the storage medium; and
the position correction unit adjusts input timing of the pixel-information to the light source, by adjusting the input timing from the storage medium to the light source independently of the input timing of the pixel-information to the storage medium.

2. The optical writing device according to claim 1 , wherein the pixel-information acquiring unit acquires the pixel information and stores the acquired pixel information in the storage medium on a predetermined cycle, and determines a timing to acquire the pixel information during one cycle in units of the predetermined cycle in accordance with a mode of correction of the position of the electrostatic latent image in the sub-scanning direction made by the position correcting unit.

3. The optical writing device according to claim 2 , wherein when the position correcting unit corrects the timing to input the pixel information to the light source to advance that timing, the pixel-information acquiring unit places the timing to acquire the pixel information at an end of one cycle in units of the predetermined cycle.

4. An image forming apparatus comprising an optical writing device that forms an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor, wherein the optical writing device comprising:
a pixel-information acquiring unit that
acquires pixel information corresponding to pixels of an image to be formed as the electrostatic latent image, and
stores the acquired pixel information in a storage medium with respect to each main scanning line;

a tilt correcting unit that generates a tilt correction signal specifying a main scanning line from which the pixel information is read out from the storage medium and inputted to a light source, which exposes the photoreceptor to light, in order to correct a tilt of the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor;
a position correcting unit that generates a position correction signal specifying a timing to input the pixel information to the light source in order to correct a position of the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor in a sub-scanning direction; and
a pixel-information-input control unit that controls input of the pixel information from the storage medium to the light source in response to the tilt correction signal and the position correction signal,
wherein the pixel-information-input control unit adjusts input timing of the pixel-information to the light source, by adjusting the input timing of the pixel-information to the storage medium; and
the position correction unit adjusts input timing of the pixel-information to the light source, by adjusting the input timing from the storage medium to the light source independently of the input timing of the pixel-information to the storage medium.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the light source is included in the image forming apparatus, and the light source includes a light emitting diode (LED) array.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of writing devices each configured to form a latent image of a different color on the photoreceptor.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a developing unit that uses black toner to develop the latent image on the photoreceptor into a toner image;
a transfer belt that transfers the toner image from the photoreceptor; and
a cleaning unit that removes remaining toner from the photoreceptor and that neutralizes an electric charge of the photoreceptor.

8. A method of controlling an optical writing device that forms an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor, the method comprising:
acquiring pixel information corresponding to pixels of an image to be formed as the electrostatic latent image, and
storing the acquired pixel information in a storage medium with respect to each main scanning line;
generating a tilt correction signal specifying a main scanning line from which the pixel information is read out of the storage medium and inputted to a light source, which exposes the photoreceptor to light, in order to correct a tilt of the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor and outputting the generated tilt correction signal;
generating a position correction signal specifying a timing to input the pixel information to the light source in order to correct a position of an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor in a sub-scanning direction and outputting the generated position correction signal; and
controlling input of the pixel information from the storage medium to the light source in response to the tilt correction signal and the position correction signal,
wherein input timing of the pixel-information to the light source is adjusted by adjusting the input timing of the pixel-information to the storage medium; and
input timing of the pixel-information to the light source is further adjusted by adjusting the input timing from the storage medium to the light source independently of the input timing of the pixel-information to the storage medium.

Assignees

• Shirasaki Yoshinori
• Hayashi Masayuki
• Yamaguchi Yasuo
• Komai Kunihiro
• Miyadera Tatsuya
• Kawanabe Motohiro
• Ikeda Hiroaki
• Yamaguchi Akinori
• Tsuchiya Fuminori
• Takahashi Motoyoshi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shirasaki Yoshinori
• Hayashi Masayuki
• Yamaguchi Yasuo
• Komai Kunihiro
• Miyadera Tatsuya
• Kawanabe Motohiro
• Ikeda Hiroaki
• Yamaguchi Akinori
• Tsuchiya Fuminori
• Takahashi Motoyoshi

Classifications

• B41J2/47

  using the combination of scanning and modulation of light · CPC title

• G03G15/0189 Primary

  primary transfer to an intermediate transfer belt (G03G15/0184 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2/45

  using light-emitting diode {[LED] or laser} arrays · CPC title

• G03G15/04054

  by LED arrays · CPC title

• G06K15/1894 Primary

  Outputting the image data to the printing elements · CPC title