Patent · US Expired

Electrophotographic apparatus and method for inhibiting charge over-transfer

US5697015A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
19References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 29, 1996
Grant dateDec 9, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 29, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G2215/1614
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Method and apparatus are provided for inhibiting toner transfer defects, and in particular, to inhibit over-transfer of electrical charge through a transfer medium to a toner after development of a latent image on a photoconductor in an electrophotographic imaging device. Toner transfer defects are inhibited near the leading edge of a print medium by a method which includes the step of providing a controlled ramped voltage output to a transfer member so as to provide a controlled flow of charge from the transfer member to the transfer medium during an initial application of electrical charge to a first region of the transfer medium adjacent a leading edge of the transfer medium. To inhibit intra-page toner transfer defects, the method of the invention includes the step of selectively activating a light source when the transfer medium is present in the nip region so as to partially discharge a portion of the photoconductor not containing a developed image when a servo voltage is below a servo threshold voltage during an image transfer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.