IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• Main Authors: WADA MINORU, TANIGUCHI RYO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 07.12.2015
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To calculate toner concentration in a developer, without using a toner concentration sensor such as a permeability sensor and without being affected by an environment.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 1 includes: a photoreceptor drum 2 on the surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing roller 17 which is arranged to face the photoreceptor drum 2, so as to form a development nip N2 between the developing roller 17 and the photoreceptor drum 2 and supplies toner in a two-component developer carried on the surface of the developing roller 17 to the photoreceptor drum 2 in the development nip N2, to develop the electrostatic latent image; and a control part 100 which controls the drive of the photoreceptor drum 2 and the developing roller 17. The control part 100 allows the discharge of the toner included in the developer in the development nip N2 to the photoreceptor drum 2 in such a state that the developing roller 17 is stopped and calculates the toner concentration in the two-component developer on the basis of the amount of the discharged toner. 【課題】透磁率センサー等のトナー濃度センサーを用いずに、また、環境に影響されずに、現像剤中のトナー濃度を算出する。【解決手段】画像形成装置１は、表面に静電潜像が形成される感光体ドラム２と、感光体ドラム２との間で現像ニップＮ２を形成するように感光体ドラム２と対向配置され、表面に担持された二成分現像剤内のトナーを現像ニップＮ２において感光体ドラム２に供給して静電潜像を現像する現像ローラー１７と、感光体ドラム２及び現像ローラー１７を駆動制御する制御部１００とを備える。制御部１００は、現像ローラー１７を停止させた状態で現像ニップＮ２内の現像剤に含まれるトナーを感光体ドラム２へ吐き出させ、当該吐き出されたトナーの量に基づいて二成分現像剤中のトナー濃度を算出する。【選択図】図６