Patent ID: 6014156
Filing Date: 2000-01-11
Classification: B41J,G03G

Abstract:
An electrophotographic printer, comprising:a rotating image bearing body;a charging device that charges a surface of said image bearing body;an image writing device disposed beyond said charging device in a direction of rotation of said image bearing body, said image writing device having at least one light-emitting element which emits light to illuminate the surface of said image bearing body so as to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface during a first duration;a developing device disposed beyond said image writing device in the direction of rotation of said image bearing body, said developing device depositing a developer material on the electrostatic latent image to convert the electrostatic latent image into a visible image; anda controller, controlling said image writing device to emit the light,said controller driving said image writing device to emit the light in accordance with print data only during the first duration, wherein said controller does not drive said image writing device in accordance with print data at any time other than during the first duration, andsaid controller driving said image writing device to emit light continuously for a second duration not overlapping the first duration, to decrease a potential of the surface of said image bearing body.