Patent · US Expired

Image forming apparatus operating in color mode and monochrome mode

US6029023A · kind A · utility

49Cited by
2References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 2, 1998
Grant dateFeb 22, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 2, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G2215/0119
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An image forming apparatus operates in a color mode using a plurality of image holding components and in a monochrome mode using one of the plurality of image holding components to perform the image formation. The mode is switched between the color mode and the monochrome mode in accordance with information, such as the number of monochrome images having been successively formed, the number of monochrome images to be successively formed, a time period having been taken for the monochrome image formation, productivity or life priority specified the user, and a standby state of the image forming apparatus in the color mode or the monochrome mode, with a distance between the recording sheets to be transported being controlled according to predetermined conditions.

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