Patent ID: 7421218
Filing Date: 2008-09-02
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; an electrostatic latent image forming device configured to expose the image bearing member thereby forming an electrostatic latent image; a temperature detecting member positioned in a downstream side of an image exposure position in a rotating direction of the image bearing member, for detecting a surface temperature of the image bearing member; a heating device configured to heat the image bearing member; a temperature control unit, configured to control the heating device, for controlling a temperature of the image bearing member, based on an output of the temperature detecting member; a potential detecting member positioned in a downstream side of the image exposure position in a rotating direction of the image bearing member, for detecting a surface potential of the image bearing member; and a control unit configured to control an electrostatic latent image forming condition, based on an output of the potential detecting member, wherein Xd> a distance Xe between the image exposure position and a position of the potential detecting member>2×τ×Vps×Vc/Vμ×Mc/Mμ; and 0< a distance Xt between the image exposure position and a position of the temperature detecting member<50×τ×Vps×Vc/Vμ×Mc/Mμ, wherein: τ: time constant (sec) in a hole mobility measurement of a specimen obtained by a time-by-flight method; Vps: a circumferential speed of the image bearing member during image formation (mm/sec); Vc: a latent image contrast (V) necessary for image formation; Mc: a thickness (cm) of charge transport layer in the image bearing member; Vμ: a bias (V) applied to a specimen in the hole mobility measurement obtained by the time-by-flight method; Mμ: a thickness (cm) of a charge transport layer of the specimen employed in the hole mobility measurement obtained by the time-by-flight method; and Xd: a distance (mm) of an image exposure portion and a developing device from a position opposed to the image bearing member.