JP2005037815A5 - - Google Patents

Claims (20)

Transfer that sequentially transfers a plurality of image carriers carrying electrostatic latent images and a developer image visualized based on the electrostatic latent images on the plurality of image carriers to a member to be transferred And an image forming apparatus having a plurality of cleaning means for removing the developer present on the plurality of image carriers.
Developer supply means for supplying developer to non-image forming areas on the plurality of image carriers is provided, and the amount of developer supplied by the developer supply means can be different for the plurality of image carriers. An image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit includes a blade-shaped member.   The plurality of image carriers include a first image carrier and a second image carrier that performs transfer to the member to be transferred after the first image carrier. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the amount of developer supplied onto the second image carrier is less than the amount of developer supplied onto the first image carrier.   4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the member to be transferred is an intermediate transfer member, and has an intermediate transfer member cleaning member for removing a developer on the intermediate transfer member.   4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a conveying member that carries and conveys the member to be transferred at transfer positions of the plurality of image carriers, and a conveying member cleaning member that removes the developer on the conveying member. Image forming apparatus.   Among the plurality of image carriers, an image carrier that collects the developer on the member to be transferred onto the image carrier by an electric field is provided on the image carrier on which the developer supply unit performs the collection. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the amount of developer supplied is smaller than the amount of developer supplied on an image carrier other than the image carrier to be collected.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transfer member is an intermediate transfer member.   A transfer member configured to carry and transfer the member to be transferred at transfer positions of the plurality of image carriers, and among the plurality of image carriers, the developer on the transfer member is collected by the image carrier by an electric field; The amount of developer supplied to the image carrier on which the developer supply means performs the recovery is greater than the amount of developer supplied on the image carrier other than the image carrier to be recovered. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a small amount.   The image carrier that performs the recovery is disposed on the most upstream side with respect to a moving direction of the member to be transferred on a facing surface of the plurality of image carriers and the member to be transferred. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 6 to 8.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the developer supply unit is a developing unit that visualizes a developer image based on the electrostatic latent image.   An environment detection unit that detects an environment where the image forming apparatus is placed, and corrects the amount of developer supplied by the developer supply unit based on a detection result of the environment detection unit. Item 11. The image forming apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 10.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the correction of the developer amount based on a detection result of the environment detection unit has a different value for the plurality of image carriers.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the environment is humidity. 14. The developer amount supplied by the developer supply unit is corrected based on the degree of use of the developing unit that visualizes the developer image based on the electrostatic latent image. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the correction of the developer amount based on the degree of use of the developing unit has different values for the plurality of image carriers.   The developer supplied to the non-image forming area on the image carrier is a developer supplied from the developer supply unit by an electric field between the developer supply unit and the image carrier. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.   16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least the image carrier and the cleaning unit are integrated to form a process cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the process cartridge includes a storage medium storing information for determining a developer amount to be supplied to the image carrier.   19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the information is a relationship between temperature or humidity and an amount of the developer supplied to the image carrier determined according to the temperature or humidity. The process cartridge includes a developing unit that visualizes a developer image based on an electrostatic latent image, and the information includes at least one of a usage of the developing unit and an identification number of the cartridge. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18.