Electrophotography – Internal machine environment – Particle or contaminant control
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-14
2001-07-24
Brase, Sandra (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Internal machine environment
Particle or contaminant control
C399S027000, C399S103000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266501
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus having a seal for containing a developer in a developing device and method for detecting a removal of the seal. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus having a replaceable compact developing device with a seal for the developer contained therein and a method for detecting the removal of the seal.
2. Discussion of the Background
In recent years, demand for easily maintainable image-forming apparatuses, such as laser printers, photocopiers or a facsimile machine has increased so the user of such an apparatus can maintain and use the apparatus in a stable condition by themselves instead of calling a service person. For example, it is desired by users of image-forming apparatuses to easily replace by himself or herself used developer, at the end of its life or after being damaged. In addition, as appreciated by the present inventors, that it is desired that a replacing unit or module is compact in size so as to be easily handled during replacing operations.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 03138672 describes an image-forming device that has a photoconductive drum as an image bearer, a developing device providing a magnetic brush roller as a developer beam, and a developer container filled with a developer mix sealed with a seal member. The developing device including the developer container can be relatively easily replaced with new one that is filled with new developer mix by the user of the image-forming device, when the replacement is required. After the new developing device is installed, the seal member is manually removed so that the developer mix in the container moves toward the developer bearer for being used in an image forming operation. However, as recognized by the present inventors, the image forming device does not detect the removal of the seal member and so the user may erroneously skip the manual operation of removing the seal member, and start an image-forming operation. In this scenario, when the seal member is not removed, no developer mix is supplied to the developer bearer, and no developer mix is applied to the image bearer. Consequently, the image-forming device does not form a toner image on the image bearer.
Further, as recognized by the present inventors, when no toner is applied to the image bearer, a doctor blade in a cleaning device for cleaning the image bearer may turn over or chip relatively easily because of the relatively large friction between the doctor blade and the image bearer due to lack of toner as a lubricant, The turning over or chipping may damage not only the doctor blade but also the image bearer, such as by creating scratches on the surface of the image bearer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above-discussed and other problems, and has as one objective to overcome the above-discussed and other problems associated with the conventional apparatuses and methods. Accordingly, one feature of the present invention is a novel image-forming apparatus having a replaceable compact developing device with a seal for a developer and a method for detecting a removal of the seal.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a novel image-forming apparatus having a replaceable compact developing device with a seal for a developer and a method for detecting a removal of the seal that can prevent a doctor blade from cleaning an image bearer, resulting in the image bearer becoming damaged.
The image-reading apparatus of the present invention includes an image-bearing device that holds an electrostatic latent image and a toner image thereon, and a developer container that contains and agitates a developer, having at least a toner. The image-forming apparatus also includes a developer-bearing device that bears the developer so as to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image-bearing device, and a density sensor that detects an optical density of a surface of the image-bearing device and a toner image on the image-bearing device. Further, the image-forming apparatus includes a developer seal that seals the developer in the developer container, wherein the seal is disposed between the developer container and the developer-bearing device, and an actuator configured to actuate the developer container and the developer-bearing device. The image-forming apparatus also includes a control device that determines whether the developer seal is removed according to information on the optical density of the toner image output by the density sensor.
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Amemiya Ken
Mizuishi Haruji
Mizusawa Hiroshi
Ohori Mayumi
Tanaka Masaru
Brase Sandra
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
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