Patent ID: 6956598
Filing Date: 2005-10-18
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A laser intensity adjusting method of adjusting a maximum intensity of a laser exposure mechanism for irradiating laser light to a surface of a photoreceptor to which a uniform potential is being given by a corona discharger, said method comprising: a first potential detecting step including the steps of (i) obtaining a first plurality of laser intensity values that increase from an initial value to a predetermined value according to a first interval to provide a first range of intensity values, (ii) successively exposing a surface portion of the photoreceptor surface with laser light having intensities corresponding to said first plurality of intensity values to provide a plurality of exposed patch portions on the photoreceptor surface, and (iii) detecting the potential of each of said plurality of exposed patch portions; a second potential detecting step including the steps of (i) obtaining a second plurality of laser intensity values that increase from an initial value to a predetermined value according to a second interval to provide a second range of intensity values, said second interval being smaller than said first interval and said second range being smaller than said first range, (ii) successively exposing a surface portion of said photoreceptor surface with laser light having intensities corresponding to said second plurality of intensity values to provide a plurality of patch portions on the photoreceptor surface; and (iii) detecting the potential of each of said plurality of exposed patch portions; and a step of setting, as a maximum intensity of the laser exposure mechanism, a laser intensity with which there has been detected, at said first said second potential detecting step, a potential equal to or substantially equal to a predetermined set potential, wherein said laser intensities corresponding to said second plurality of intensity values are selected to be close to a laser intensity value corresponding to a potential detected during said first potential detecting step as closest to said predetermined set potential, and said second detecting step is repeated until there is obtained a potential equal to or substantially equal to said predetermined set potential.