Image-forming apparatus and image-forming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9342048-B2
Application number	US-201514718155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2015
Priority date	May 29, 2014
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

An image-forming apparatus include an image bearer; a cleaning device to clean a surface of the image bearer; an air-blowing device to blow outside air; a temperature/humidity detector to detect temperature and humidity outside of the image-forming apparatus; and a controller to determine absolute humidity from detected temperature and humidity. Based on the absolute humidity, a waiting time from a time when a previous image-forming operation ends until the air-blowing device stops, in a stand-by state of an image-forming operation, and an unused time from a time when the air-blowing device stops until the air-blowing device resumes, the controller determines whether or not a polishing operation of the image bearer by the cleaning device after the air-blowing device is unused is executed in starting the operation of the blowing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image-forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearer;
a cleaning device to clean a surface of the image bearer;
an air-blowing device to blow outside air;
a temperature/humidity detector to detect temperature and humidity outside of the image-forming apparatus; and
a controller to determine absolute humidity from detected temperature and humidity,
wherein, based on the absolute humidity, a waiting time from a time when a previous image-forming operation ends until the air-blowing device stops, in a stand-by state of an image-forming operation, and an unused time from a time when the air-blowing device stops until the air-blowing device resumes, the controller determines whether or not a polishing operation of the image bearer by the cleaning device after the air-blowing device is unused is executed in starting the operation of the blowing device.

2. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines an execution time of the polishing operation of the image bearer based on the absolute humidity, the waiting time, and the unused time.

3. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein in a case where the absolute humidity and the waiting time are constant, respectively, and only the unused time is variable, the controller sets the execution time in proportion to the unused time.

4. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein based on the absolute humidity, the waiting time, and the unused time, during the polishing operation of the image bearer, the controller determines an amount of developing agent of a developing agent image formed on the image bearer.

5. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein in a case where the absolute humidity is equal to or more than a predetermined value, as the waiting time is shorter, the controller increases the amount of developing agent of the developing agent image formed on the image bearer, and sets the execution time of the polishing operation to be longer, and in a case where the absolute humidity is less than the predetermined value, the controller reduces the amount of developing agent of the developing agent image formed on the image bearer, compared to the case where the absolute humidity is equal to or more than the predetermined value.

6. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device includes a cleaning brush, and a cleaning brush driver, and the controller controls the cleaning brush driver such that the number of rotations of the cleaning brush at the time of the polishing operation of the image bearer after being unused is increased more than that during the image-forming operation.

7. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein in a case where the absolute humidity is equal to or more than a predetermined value, the controller sets an amount of developing agent of a developing agent image formed on the image bearer to be more than that in a case where the absolute humidity is less than the predetermined value, and sets an execution time of the polishing operation to be longer than that in the case where the absolute humidity is less than the predetermined value.

8. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a charging device to charge the image bearer,
wherein the air-blowing device includes an air blower which supplies outside air to the charging device, a filter which removes a foreign matter in the outside air, an air releaser which releases air in the charging device, a filter which removes a foreign matter from the charging device, and a duct which forms an airflow path, and the air-blowing device operates when the image-forming apparatus starts operating, and stops after an elapse of a predetermined time from when an image-forming operation ends.

9. An image-forming method of employing the image-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
preparing an image bearer; a cleaning device to clean a surface of the image bearer; an air-blowing device to blow outside air; a temperature/humidity detector to detect temperature and humidity outside of the image-forming apparatus; and a controller to determine absolute humidity from detected temperature and humidity,
detecting a temperature and humidity in an environment in which the image-forming apparatus is installed by the temperature/humidity detecting device;
detecting a waiting time from when a previous image-forming operation ends until the air-blowing device stops, in a stand-by state of an image-forming operation;
detecting a unused time from when the air-blowing device stops until the air-blowing device resumes; and
determining by the controller whether executing a polishing operation of the image bearer by the cleaning device after the air-blowing device is unused in starting the operation of the blowing device, based on the absolute humidity, the waiting time and the unused time.

Assignees

• Sasaki Yoshinori
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sasaki Yoshinori

Classifications

• G03G21/203 Primary

  Humidity · CPC title

• G03G21/0011

  using a blade; Details of cleaning blades, e.g. blade shape, layer forming · CPC title

• G03G21/0035

  using a brush; Details of cleaning brushes, e.g. fibre density (G03G21/0064 takes precedence; magnetic brushes G03G21/0047) · CPC title

• G03G2221/001

  Plural sequential cleaning devices · CPC title

• G03G21/0076

  Plural or sequential cleaning devices · CPC title