Claims
- 1. A method of cleaning a belt, comprising the steps of:
- transferring a line of toner to a belt, the line of toner arranged along a width of the belt such that there are different amounts of toner along the width of the belt, the line of toner having a width, as measured in a widthwise direction of the belt, greater than a maximum width of a recording medium, but smaller than a width of a cleaning blade, the line of toner being transferred in order to reduce a coefficient of friction between the belt and the cleaning blade; and
- cleaning the line of toner from the belt by contacting the cleaning blade with the belt and moving the belt relative to the cleaning blade.
- 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transferring step comprises:
- transferring the line of toner to the belt which comprises a belt for conveying a recording medium.
- 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the transferring step comprises:
- transferring the line of toner to the belt which comprises a belt for conveying a recording medium which is a sheet.
- 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transferring step comprises:
- transferring the line of toner to the belt which comprises an image carrier.
- 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transferring step comprises:
- transferring the line of toner to the belt which comprises a photoconductive belt.
- 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transferring step comprises:
- transferring the line of toner such that there is a different amount of toner at an intermediate portion of the belt than at end portions of the belt.
- 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the transferring step comprises:
- transferring the line of toner such that there is a greater amount of toner at the end portions of the belt than at the intermediate portion.
- 8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the transferring step comprises:
- transferring the line of toner such that the line of toner is thicker at the end portions of the belt than at the intermediate portion.
- 9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the transferring step comprises:
- transferring the line of toner such that the line of toner has a density higher at the end portions than at the intermediate portion.
- 10. A method according to claim 7, wherein the transferring step comprises:
- transferring the line of toner such that the line of toner comprises a plurality of lines, a number of the plurality of lines at the opposite end portions being greater than a number of lines at the intermediate portion.
- 11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:
- forming the line of toner on a photoconductive surface,
- wherein the step of transferring comprising transferring the line of toner from the photoconductive surface to the belt.
- 12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of forming comprises:
- forming the line of toner on the photoconductive surface which comprises a photoconductive drum.
- 13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of forming comprises:
- forming the line of toner on the photoconductive surface which comprises a photoconductive belt.
- 14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:
- forming a latent image on the belt,
- wherein the step of transferring comprises transferring the line of toner to the latent image on the belt.
- 15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transferring comprises:
- transferring at least some of the toner of the line of toner which is other than for forming an image and having a primary purpose of preventing damage due to contact between the belt and the cleaning blade.
- 16. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
- forming a latent image of a line on an image carrier between recording media using stored image data;
- developing the latent image of the line using toner and forming said line of toner, before said transferring step.
- 17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
- forming a latent image on an image carrier; and
- developing the latent image into a toner image; and
- transferring the toner image to a recording medium on the belt.
- 18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:
- applying a bias to a rear of the belt during the step of transferring the image to the recording medium; and
- conveying the recording medium which is on the belt to a fixing device.
- 19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:
- reading from a memory a representation of the line of toner;
- forming a latent image of the line of toner using the representation which has been read; and
- developing the latent image of the line of toner using toner and forming the line of toner.
- 20. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
- reading from a memory a representation of the line of toner;
- forming a latent image of the line of toner using the representation which has been read; and
- developing the latent image of the line of toner using toner and forming the line of toner.
- 21. A method of cleaning in an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- sensing a humidity;
- transferring toner to a surface in different amounts in a widthwise direction of the surface, at least some of the toner being other than for forming an image and having a primary purpose of preventing damage due to contact between the surface and a cleaning blade, an amount of toner which is transferred being based on the humidity which is sensed; and
- cleaning the toner from the surface using the blade.
- 22. A method according to claim 21, where the transferring step comprises:
- transferring different amounts of toner in a widthwise direction of the surface.
- 23. A method of cleaning a belt in an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- forming an image;
- counting a number of images which have been formed;
- transferring toner to a surface which conveys developed images, at least some of the toner being other than for forming an image and having a primary purpose of preventing damage due to contact between the surface and a cleaning blade; and
- cleaning the toner off of the surface using the cleaning blade,
- wherein an amount of toner which has been transferred increases as a number of images formed increases.
- 24. A method according to claim 23, where the transferring step comprises:
- transferring different amounts of toner in a widthwise direction of the surface.
- 25. A method of cleaning a belt in an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- forming an image;
- measuring an amount of torque associated with moving a belt;
- transferring toner to the belt which conveys developed images, at least some of the toner being other than for forming an image and having a primary purpose of preventing damage due to contact between the belt and a cleaning blade; and
- cleaning the toner off of said belt using the cleaning blade,
- wherein an amount of toner which has been transferred increases as the amount of torque which has been measured increases.
- 26. A method according to claim 25, where the transferring step comprises:
- transferring different amounts of toner in a widthwise direction of said belt.
- 27. A method of cleaning a belt performed within an image forming device, comprising the steps of:
- forming an image on an image carrier;
- developing the image into a toner image;
- transferring the toner image to a recording medium on a belt;
- fixing the image on the recording medium;
- forming an image of a line on the image carrier, the image of the line comprising a straight line inclined by a predetermine angle, other than zero degrees, relative to a cleaning blade, when a toner image of the line is transferred to the belt;
- developing the image of the line into the toner image of the line;
- transferring the toner image of the line to the belt; and
- cleaning the toner image of the line from the belt using a blade.
- 28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the step of cleaning is performed between transferring images to recording media.
- 29. A method according to claim 27, wherein the step of forming an image of a line of toner has a primary purpose of preventing damage due to contact between the belt and the cleaning blade.
- 30. A method of cleaning a belt performed within an image forming device, comprising the steps of:
- forming an image on an image carrier;
- developing the image into a toner image;
- transferring the toner image to a recording medium on a belt;
- fixing the image on the recording medium;
- forming an image of a line on the image carrier, the image of the line comprising a non-straight line;
- developing the image of the line into the toner image of the line;
- transferring the toner image of the line to the belt;
- cleaning the toner image of the line from the belt using a blade.
- 31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the step of forming an image of a line forms a sinusoidal shaped line.
- 32. A method according to claim 30, wherein the step of cleaning is performed between transferring images to recording media.
- 33. A method according to claim 30, wherein the step of forming an image of a line of toner has a primary purpose of preventing damage due to contact between the belt and the cleaning blade.
- 34. A method of cleaning a belt performed within an image forming device, comprising the steps of:
- forming an image on an image carrier;
- developing the image into a toner image;
- transferring the toner image to a recording medium on a belt;
- fixing the image on the recording medium;
- forming an image of a plurality of segments on the image carrier;
- developing the image of the plurality of segments into a toner image of the plurality of segments;
- transferring the toner image of the plurality of segments to the belt; and
- cleaning the toner image of the plurality of segments from the belt using a blade,
- wherein the plurality of segments are arranged on intersecting diagonal lines.
- 35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the step of forming an image of a plurality of segments of toner has a primary purpose of preventing damage due to contact between the belt and the cleaning blade.
- 36. A method of cleaning a belt performed within an image forming device, comprising the steps of:
- forming an image on an image carrier;
- developing the image into a toner image;
- transferring the toner image to a recording medium on a belt;
- fixing the image on the recording medium;
- forming an image of a plurality of segments on the image carrier;
- developing the image of the plurality of segments into a toner image of the plurality of segments;
- transferring the toner image of the plurality of segments to the belt; and
- cleaning the toner image of the plurality of segments from the belt using a blade,
- wherein the plurality of segments are arranged on two parallel lines.
- 37. A method of cleaning a belt performed within an image forming device, comprising the steps of:
- forming an image on an image carrier;
- developing the image into a toner image;
- transferring the toner image to a recording medium on a belt;
- fixing the image on the recording medium;
- forming an image of a plurality of segments on the image carrier;
- developing the image of the plurality of segments into a toner image of the plurality of segments;
- transferring the toner image of the plurality of segments to the belt; and
- cleaning the toner image of the plurality of segments from the belt using a blade,
- wherein the plurality of segments are arranged on at least four lines which are arranged horizontally across a width of the belt.
- 38. A method of cleaning a belt performed within an image forming device, comprising the steps of:
- forming an image on an image carrier;
- developing the image into a toner image;
- transferring the toner image to a recording medium on a belt;
- fixing the image on the recording medium;
- forming an image of a plurality of segments on the image carrier;
- developing the image of the plurality of segments into a toner image of the plurality of segments;
- transferring the toner image of the plurality of segments to the belt; and
- cleaning the toner image of the plurality of segments from the belt using a blade,
- wherein the step of cleaning is performed between transferring images to recording media.
- 39. A method of cleaning a belt performed within an image forming device, comprising the steps of:
- forming an image on an image carrier;
- developing the image into a toner image;
- transferring the toner image to a recording medium on a belt;
- fixing the image on the recording medium;
- forming an image of a line on the image carrier, the image of the line resembling background contamination;
- developing the image of the line into the toner image of the line;
- transferring the toner image of the line to the belt;
- cleaning the toner image of the line from the belt using a blade.
- 40. A method according to claim 39, wherein the step of cleaning is performed between transferring images to recording media.
- 41. A method according to claim 39, wherein the step of forming an image of a line of toner has a primary purpose of preventing damage due to contact between the belt and the cleaning blade.
Priority Claims (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
8-291806 |
Nov 1996 |
JPX |
|
9-163991 |
Jun 1997 |
JPX |
|
9-253457 |
Sep 1997 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 08/962,733 filed on Nov. 3, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,339.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
01-59376 |
Mar 1989 |
JPX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
962733 |
Nov 1997 |
|