Incremental printing of symbolic information – Electric marking apparatus or processes – Electrostatic
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-22
2004-03-16
Pendegrass, Joan (Department: 2852)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Electric marking apparatus or processes
Electrostatic
C399S012000, C399S110000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06707480
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image formation unit used in a copier, a facsimile machine or a printer and to an image formation apparatus which includes this image formation unit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, market demand in relation to the performances of image formation apparatuses such as recording speed, resolution and rise time has diversified and various types of image formation apparatuses which differ in these performances are required. However, as the diversified apparatus types appear, the number of the types of necessary components and units increases.
In addition, time for a user to change desired performances has recently become shorter. Specifically, time for a user who purchased an image formation apparatus of a certain type to obtain an image formation apparatus of another type because the user could not correctly recognize the quantity of print output at the time of purchase or the quantity of print output changes from that when the user purchased the apparatus, has become shorter.
According to a conventional image formation apparatus, if the above instance occurs, a user disadvantageously needs to purchase another image formation apparatus, which imposes heavy burden on the user. Further, on the manufacturers' side, if many types of apparatuses are produced, manufacturing cost is disadvantageously pushed up.
On the other hand, the image formation apparatus such as a copier or a printer is required to be subjected to maintenance operations frequently while the apparatus is used. This is because image formation processes are carried out while preserving a delicate balance, and it is necessary to adjust the balance between the components of the apparatus to ensure good image formation. The maintenance operations are required due to, for example, the fact that if low quality paper is used, paper particles adhere to a photosensitive member to make it impossible to ensure good image formation or due to the degradation of rubber members.
As for an image formation unit around a photosensitive member which unit is provided to realize an electrophotographic method, in particular, a maintenance operation is highly demanded so as to make the best use of the performances of the unit. Conventionally, the image formation unit of the photosensitive member or the like used in an image formation apparatus is shorter in life than the image formation apparatus. It is, therefore, necessary to replace the image formation unit by a new one several times while one image formation apparatus is used. The image formation unit has a shorter life because of a phenomenon that the photosensitive member is worn because of the impact of, for example, a cleaning blade on the photosensitive member or, if the apparatus of a two-component development type is used, because of a spent toner phenomenon that a toner adheres to a carrier after the apparatus has been used for a long period of time to thereby deteriorate the charging performance of the unit or the like.
As a result, it is necessary to carry out maintenance operations including the repair or replacement of the image formation unit while the image formation apparatus is used. The maintenance operations are roughly divided into maintenance centered around repairs made by engineers such as manufacture's service persons and that centered around replacement made by the user himself.
In the maintenance on the part of service persons or the like, the image formation unit is also repaired if possible and the quantity of waste to be disposed of can be advantageously reduced. On the other hand, the maintenance disadvantageously generates time or so-called downtime for which the user cannot use the image formation apparatus before a service person returns the apparatus to the user. In the context of the field of printers which is particularly widening or the overseas sales of printers, there is fear that maintenance operations cannot be conducted to image formation apparatuses at sufficiently earlier time because users outnumbers service persons or the distance from a service center to the user is long.
Meanwhile, there is conventionally known, as an image formation apparatus enabling a user to carry out maintenance operations, a process cartridge type image formation apparatus in which a photosensitive member is formed integrally with a development device and the integrated photosensitive member and development device are detachable from the main body of the image formation apparatus. Since the photosensitive member and the image formation unit such as a development device are formed integrally with each other, the process cartridge type image formation apparatus has an advantage in that the user can easily carry out a replacement operation if the life of the cartridge ends. The process cartridge type image formation apparatus has, however, disadvantages in that since a plurality of image formation units are formed integrally, it is necessary to replace the entire cartridge even if the life of a part of the image formation units ends, cost is pushed up and heavy burden is imposed on the environment. As more attention has been recently paid to the environment, the recycle of process cartridges is underway. However, since the user can easily detach the process cartridge, some process cartridges are disposed of without being recovered, whereby the complete recovery of process cartridges is not realized.
As explained above, according to the conventional image formation apparatus, the image formation unit is almost a consumable supply in the sense that unless maintained, good image formation cannot be ensured for a long period of time and, therefore, the problem arises as to how to carry out various maintenance operations.
In this specification, an image formation unit which can be replaced by another unit and attached to an image formation apparatus will be referred to as “image formation unit” and the sections of the image formation apparatus other than the image formation unit will be referred to as “image formation apparatus main body” hereinafter unless otherwise specified. In addition, if a plurality of image formation units exist in an image formation apparatus, only the noted image formation unit will be referred to as “image formation unit” and the image formation units other than the noted image formation unit and the sections of the image formation apparatus other than the image formation units will be collectively referred to as “image formation apparatus main body” hereinafter.
Thanks to the recent technological innovation made by the applicant of the present invention, the lives of respective constituent members of an image formation apparatus are steadily lengthened. For example, the applicant of the present invention succeeded in developing a technique of lengthening the life of a photosensitive member the performance of which has been conventionally difficult to maintain until the life of an image formation apparatus ends. Such technological innovation enables the life of an image formation unit to be equal to that of an image formation apparatus main body or to nearly surpass the life of the image formation apparatus main body.
If the life of the image formation unit is longer, the number of times of necessary maintenance operations, quite naturally, decreases. If the number of times of necessary maintenance operations decreases, a service person can arrive at a user in short time after the service person receives a maintenance request from the user and the burden of maintenance on the user decreases, accordingly.
If the image formation unit, in particular, has a comparable life to that of the image formation apparatus main body and the image formation unit as well as the image formation apparatus which has been used is recovered when the user purchases or rents a new apparatus or the like, then it is possible to dispense with a maintenance operation.
If the life of an image formation unit is longer, it is considered that one image formation unit is recycled (reused) to be used
Ameyama Minoru
Aoki Katsuhiro
Itabashi Akihisa
Matsuura Nekka
Morohoshi Naoya
Pendegrass Joan
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
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