Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus, particularly a color image forming apparatus. A conveyer belt made of dielectric material is charged-up electrically by repetitive image transfer actions using corona charging. By the charge-up the transfer current decreases with the result of decrease of image density. In order to compensate with this, the average charge amount of the toner particles transferred to the image receiving material at later stage or stages of the repetitive image transfer actions is decreased with respect to the average charge amount of the toner particles transferred onto the image receiving material in the initial stage or stages of the repetitive image transfer actions. By doing so, the toner image densities in the respective colors are made uniform, so that sharp images can be produced.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART 
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus wherein 
different color images are formed in an image forming station and are 
sequentially overlaid on the same transfer material. 
In a color copying machine capable of forming a color image through a 
multi-color electrophotographic process, there are provided a plurality of 
image forming stations for forming visualized images (toner images) of 
different colors by the image forming stations, and the toner images are 
sequentially and superposedly transferred onto the same transfer material. 
FIG. 4 shows an example of such an image forming apparatus. The apparatus 
comprises first, second, third and fourth image forming stations Pa, Pb, 
Pc and Pd. Each of the image forming stations has an image bearing member 
in the form of an electrophotographic photosensitive drum 1a, 1b, 1c or 1d 
therefor. 
Around each of the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d, there are a 
latent image forming station 2a, 2b, 2c or 2d, a developing station 3a, 
3b, 3c or 3d, an image transfer discharger 4a, 4b, 4c or 4d and a cleaning 
station 5a, 5b, 5c or 5d. 
In operation, a latent image of a yellow component, for example, of an 
original is formed by the latent image forming station 2a on the 
photosensitive drum 1a of the first image forming station Pa. The latent 
image is developed into a visualized image with a developer having yellow 
developer in the developing station 3a, and the developed image is 
transferred onto the transfer material 6 in the transfer station 4a, the 
transfer material 6 having been fed by a conveyer belt 8 to the image 
transfer station where the transfer discharger and the photosensitive drum 
are faced to each other. 
During the yellow image being transferred to the transfer material 6, the 
second image forming station Pb forms on the photosensitive drum 1b a 
latent image for the magenta color component. Subsequently, the latent 
image is developed into a visualized image with the developer containing 
the magenta toner in the developing station 3b. The visualized magenta 
toner image is overlaid at the correct position on the transfer material 6 
when the transfer material 6 having the image already transferred by the 
first image forming station Pa comes to the next image transfer station 
4b. 
In the similar manner, the third and fourth image forming stations Pc and 
Pd form cyan color and black color images, and the cyan color and black 
color images are transferred on the same transfer material. 
When such image forming process is completed, the transfer material 6 is 
conveyed to an image fixing station, where the images are fixed on the 
transfer material. Thus, a multi-color image is transferred on the 
transfer material 6. Each of the photosensitive drum 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d 
having been subjected to be image transfer station, is cleaned by the 
associated cleaning station 5a, 5b, 5c or 5d, by which the residual toner 
particles are removed therefrom to the prepared for the next latent image 
formation. 
In such an image forming apparatus, a conveyer belt 8 is used to convey the 
transfer material 6. In FIG. 4, the transfer material 6 is conveyed from 
the right side to the left side. During the conveying, the transfer 
material 6 passes through the transfer stations 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d of the 
image forming stations Pa, Pb, Pc and Pd. In the transfer stations, 
transfer bias voltage is applied thereto. As for the material of the 
conveying means for conveying the transfer material 6, various proposals 
have been made from the standpoint of easy manufacturing and durability; 
such as Tetron in the form of a mesh, thin sheet of 
polyethyleneterephthalate resin, a thin sheet of polyimide resin, urethane 
resin or PVdF. 
The inventor's experiments and investigations, however, have revealed that 
they involve problems. 
The conveying belt of Tetron fibers in the form of a mesh has a drawback 
that the fibers constituting the mesh are easily deviated during the 
conveying process with the result of belt deformation. Therefore, the 
drive transmission efficiency in the belt conveying speed control system 
decreases, so that the correct conveying speed is not maintained. In 
addition, since the belt is in the form of a mesh, the close contactness 
of the transfer material thereto is not good with the result that the 
positional deviation occurs between the transfer material and the 
conveying belt due to the vibration of the conveying belt in operation. By 
the deviation and by the non-flatness of the surface of the conveying 
belt, non-uniform image transfer can be easily produced. Furthermore, 
since the size of the mesh is far larger than the particle size of the 
toner, the toner particles are scattered from the photosensitive drum to 
the transfer charger outside the contact transfer area in which the image 
should be transferred from the photosensitive drum to the transfer 
material in the image transfer process. Then, the toner particles pass 
through the mesh to contaminate the transfer charger with the toner 
particles. 
The latter materials (dielectric sheet) have high tension elasticity, a 
high drive transmission efficiency in the belt drive control system, a 
generally high volume resistivity of not less than 10.sup.16 ohm.cm, and 
therefore, they are advantageous for electrostatically attracting the 
transfer material on the belt, substantially without the drawbacks in the 
mesh belt discussed above. 
However, such a conveyer belt has such a high volume resistivity that the 
amount of electric charge on the conveyer belt increases during the 
repeated image transfer operations in the color image forming apparatus. 
Therefore, the uniform image transfer is not maintained unless the 
transfer currents are sequentially increased in the plural image transfer 
operations. This requires complicated and costly structure such as control 
means for the transfer current, with the result of an expensive device. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide 
an image forming apparatus wherein the uniform image transfer operations 
are possible without increasing the transfer current for the sequential 
image transfer operations. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming 
apparatus without complicated and expensive structure for the image 
transfer. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an image forming 
apparatus capable of providing high quality images. 
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention 
will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following 
description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in 
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown an image forming apparatus according to 
an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus 
comprises a main assembly 10 including image forming stations Pa, Pb, Pc 
and Pd. Below the image forming stations, there is transfer material 
conveying means having a belt 8, stretched around driving rollers 11, 12 
and 76. The belt 8 is rotated in the direction indicated by an arrow. To 
the right side of the belt 8, there is disposed a sheet feeding mechanism 
13, through which a transfer material 6 is supplied onto the belt 8. The 
transfer material 6 having been subjected to the image transfer operations 
in the image forming stations Pa, Pb, Pc and Pd is fed to the fixing 
device 7 from the left side of the belt 8. The transfer material 6 having 
been subjected to the image fixing operation is discharged to the outside 
of the main assembly 10 through the discharging outlet 14. 
The first, second, third and fourth image forming stations Pa, Pb, Pc and 
Pd which are juxtaposed above the conveying means, have respective 
photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d. To the upper left portion of each 
of the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d, a charger 15a, 15b, 15c or 
15d is disposed. Above each of the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d, 
a laser beam scanner 16a, 16b, 16c or 16d is disposed. Each of the 
scanners includes a semiconductor laser, a polygonal mirror and an 
f-.theta. lens. It receives an electric digital image signal corresponding 
to an original image, and scans the photosensitive drum with a laser beam 
modulated in accordance with the signal in a direction of a generating 
line of the associated photosensitive drum at a position between the 
charger 15a, 15b, 15c or 15d and the developing device 3a, 3b, 3c or 3d. 
By the scanning exposure, a latent image is formed on the photosensitive 
drum. More particularly, the laser scanner 16a of the first image forming 
station Pa receives a picture element signal corresponding to the yellow 
color component image of a color original; the laser scanner unit 16b of 
the second image forming station Pb receives a picture element signal 
corresponding to the magenta color component thereof; the laser scanner 
16c of the third image forming station Pc receives the picture element 
signal corresponding to the cyan color component image thereof; and the 
laser scanner 16d of the fourth image forming station Pd receives the 
picture element signal corresponding to the black color component thereof. 
The sheet feeding mechanism 13 is provided with a sheet feeding guide 51 
and a sensor 52. When the transfer material is inserted to the sheet guide 
51, the leading edge thereof is detected by the sensor 52. In response to 
the detection, a signal is transmitted to the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 
1c and 1d to start the rotation. Simultaneously, the driving rollers 11, 
12 and 76 are driven, by which the belt 8 is rotated. The transfer 
material 6 supplied to the belt 8 is subjected to the corona discharge 
from attraction chargers 59 and 62, by which the transfer material 6 is 
assuredly attracted on the surface of the belt 8. In this embodiment, the 
polarities of the high voltage for the attraction chargers 59 and 62 are 
different from each other, and the charging polarity of the charger 62 is 
the same as the charging polarity of the transfer chargers 4a, 4b, 4c and 
4d. 
When the leading edge of the transfer material 6 is detected by the sensor 
60a, 60b, 60c or 60d, an image forming operation is started on the 
photosensitive drum 1a, 1b, 1c or 1d corresponding to the sensor. After 
the transfer material 6 passes through the fourth image forming station 
Pd, an AC voltage is applied to the discharger 61, by which the transfer 
material 6 is electrically discharged, so that the transfer material 6 is 
separated from the belt 8. Thereafter, the transfer material 6 is conveyed 
to the image fixing device 7 where the toner image on the transfer 
material 6 is fixed. The transfer material is discharged through the 
discharge outlet 14. 
The material of the belt 8 (dielectric material having a volume resistivity 
of not less than 10.sup.16 ohm.cm) in this embodiment is, for example, 
polyurethane (Hokushin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Japan) having a small 
elongation, and having high efficiency of drive transmission for the 
driving roller. Structurally, it is desirable that the transfer corona 
current in the transfer process is not significantly influenced. The 
polyurethane belt has, for example, a thickness of approximately 100 
microns, a rubber hardness of 97 degrees D, and tension elasticity of 
16000 kg/cm.sup.2. 
The experiments have been carried out to quantatively know the image 
transfer parameters in each of the image transfer stations. The results of 
experiments are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The image transfer currents to 
each of the photosensitive drums is measured. First, when the image 
transfer conditions in each of the image forming stations are made the 
same, using the belt 8, the results are as shown in FIG. 1, A. More 
specifically, the transfer conditions are such that the total transfer 
current is 450 micro-ampere, that the distance between the drum and the 
discharge wire of the transfer charger is 11 mm and that the distance 
between the transfer discharging wire and the back-up electrode plate is 
8.5 mm. The upper and lower attraction chargers 59 and 62 operable prior 
to the image transfer operation, have the same configuration as the image 
transfer chargers 4a-4d. The total currents are 200 micro-ampere, and the 
distances between the discharging wires and the conveying belt are 11 mm, 
in the upper and lower attraction chargers. 
As will be understood from the results of measurements (FIG. 1), the 
transfer current gradually decreases with the passages of the transfer 
material 6 through the image forming units. This is because the amount of 
electric charge on the belt 8 (dielectric sheet) is increased by the image 
transfer actions. 
The inventor has adjusted the respective color developers to the respective 
toner supplying portion so that the average charge amounts of the 
respective color developers decreases with the process of the image 
transfer action. As will be understood from FIG. 1, the difference in the 
transfer current is extremely large between the first image forming 
station and the second image forming station, than between the other image 
forming stations. Therefore, the average charge amount of the toner of the 
developer used in the first image forming station is made larger than in 
the other image forming stations. 
The reason will be described. When, for example, the transfer bias applies 
5 (amount assumed for the purpose of easy explanation) electric charges 
onto the backside of the transfer material, the toner corresponding to the 
5 electric charges are attracted to the transfer material. The toner image 
density on the transfer material is higher when both of a toner particle 
having 2 electric charges and a toner particle having 3 electric charges 
are attracted to the transfer material than when a toner particle having 5 
charges is attracted to the transfer material. Therefore, even if the 
transfer current decreases, the same image density as in the case of no 
reduction of the transfer current can be provided by changing the amount 
of charge of the toner, even if the transfer current is reduced. In order 
to provide such a large average charge amount, the particle size of the 
toner is reduced in this embodiment. More specifically, the average 
particle size (number average) of the toner used in the first image 
forming station is approximately 9 microns, whereas the average particle 
sizes of the other image forming stations are approximately 12 microns. 
As for the carrier particles contained in the developer, ordinarily used 
carrier is used, the ferrite magnetic particles having an average particle 
size of 50 microns each coated with silicone resin. 
The charge amount distributions of the two kinds of toner particles are 
shown in FIG. 2. The measurement thereof is a conventional one wherein the 
number of distributed toner particles falling through an electric field 
are counted. 
FIG. 2 shows the charge amount distribution of the toner having the average 
particle size of 9 microns and the toner charge amount distribution of the 
toner particles having the average particle size of 12 microns (the 
charge amount distribution of the toner in the third and fourth image 
forming stations are the same as that of 12 micron toner). The respective 
average charge amounts are approximately 27 micro-coulomb/g for 9 micron 
toner and 14 micro-coulomb/g for 12 micron toner. Thus, by changing the 
toner particle size, the contact area between the toner particles and 
carrier particles are changed, so that the amount of triboelectric charge 
is changed. More particularly, when the particle size of the toner is 
reduced, the contact area between the toner particles and carrier 
particles is increased, so that the average charge amount is increased, 
whereas when the toner particle size is increased, the contact area 
therebetween is reduced, so that the average charge amount is reduced. 
When the respective color toner images are overlaid and are fixed on the 
transfer material with the average toner particle size of 9 microns in the 
first image forming station and with the average toner particle size of 12 
microns in the other stations, the maximum image densities in each of the 
colors are measured. The results are shown in FIG. 1. As will be apparent 
from this Figure, substantially the same image densities are provided for 
the respective colors. 
In this embodiment, as described above, the particle size of the toner in 
the respective toner supplying portions are made larger in the order of 
the transfer operations so that the average charge amounts of the toner 
particles sequentially transferred decrease in the order. 
In this embodiment, the toner particle size is reduced only for the first 
image forming station where the average charge amount is significantly 
different when the same particle size is used, and the same larger 
particle size is used for all of the rest of the image forming stations. 
Depending on the variation in the transfer currents, however, the toner 
particle size may be changed to control the amount of the electric charge 
for one or more of the rest of the image forming stations. 
In this embodiment, the amount of the average charge is controlled by 
controlling the toner particle size. However, the amount of the electric 
charge on the respective toners may be controlled by changing the resin 
coating on the surface of the carrier particles in the developer. 
As to the resin coating, U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,136 (Japanese Patent 
Application Publication No. 619478/1987) discloses one. In this method, 
the ratio of uncured component of the coating resin on the carrier surface 
is changed to change the amount of charge on the toner. More particularly, 
normal temperature curing silicone resin is used, and by changing the 
sintering temperature and period, the weight percentage of the uncured 
component is controlled. The experiments show that when the percentage of 
the uncured component is 10% by weight, the average charge amount of the 
toner is -20 microcoulomb/g; and when the uncured component ratio is 25% 
by weight, the charge amount is -10 microcoulomb/g. 
The uncured component content of the carrier coating film can be determined 
by measuring the amount of solution dissolved in the solvent, or by 
calculating the total amount of the silicone resin in the coating by true 
specific gravity method. It is desirable that the carrier and toner have 
the same particle sizes as with the foregoing embodiment. 
The carrier particles having a smaller uncured component content (10% by 
weight) is used with the toner particles used in the first part or parts 
of the image transfer operations, whereas the carrier particles having a 
larger uncured component content (25% by weight) are used in the latter 
part or parts thereof. By doing so, the same results can be obtained as in 
the foregoing embodiment in which the toner particle sizes are made 
different. 
Alternatively, the average charge amount of the toner particles can be 
adjusted using both methods in combination. 
In the foregoing embodiments, each of the image forming stations Pa, Pb, Pc 
and Pd is provided with an independent photosensitive drum, and the 
transfer material 6 is conveyed by the conveyer belt 8. It is a possible 
alternative that a common photosensitive drum is used for the image 
forming stations Pa, Pb, Pc and Pd, and the latent image formations and 
the developing operations for each colors are performed in a time-shared 
manner, sequentially, and that a transfer drum is used in place of the 
conveyer belt for conveying the transfer material 6. As for the developing 
means, it is possible that plural developing means are operated in a 
common developing position. The present invention is applicable to such 
types of image forming apparatus. 
In addition, the present invention is applicable to an apparatus wherein an 
intermediate transfer material is used, and the toner images are 
transferred directly onto a conveyer belt (dielectric member) functioning 
as an image receiving member in place of the transfer material, and the 
superposedly transferred images on the conveyer belt are transferred onto 
the transfer material at once. 
The present invention is particularly advantageous when it is used with an 
apparatus wherein a latent image on the photosensitive drum is developed 
with the toner having been charged to the same polarity as the charging 
polarity of the latent image (reverse-development). The reason is that in 
the case of the reverse-development, the toner particles are deposited on 
the portion of the photosensitive drum which have been exposed to the 
light, and therefore, the toner attraction force to the photosensitive 
drum is smaller than in the regular development case. Therefore, the toner 
particles are easily transferred. 
As described in the foregoing, according to the present invention, the 
average charge amount of the toner particles is reduced with the 
processing of the transfer operation, and therefore, the toner transfer 
actions of the respective colors are made uniform even if the charge 
amount of the charging means is increased with the processing of the 
transfer operation. Therefore, the same image density can be provided, and 
therefore, high quality images can be provided without reduction of the 
attraction force of the transfer material on the conveying belt. In 
addition, the uniformity of the transfer actions can be achieved without 
changing the transfer conditions in the respective image forming stations, 
and therefore, no additional part is required, and the cost of the 
apparatus is not increased. 
While the invention has been described with reference to the structures 
disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth and this 
application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come 
within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following 
claims.