IP Library Granted Patent US 12,399,443
Granted Patent B2
US 12,399,443 · App. 17/579,373 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Image forming apparatus for printing image using brilliant toner on recording medium

Inventor: Manami Hiraide (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
G03G9/0926
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,399,443
App. No.
17/579,373
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an image with a brilliant toner on a recording medium; a medium color determiner that determines whether the recording medium is white or colored; and an image forming controller that controls the image forming unit. When the medium color determiner determines that the recording medium is colored, the image forming controller increases an amount of the brilliant toner per unit area of the image formed on the recording medium as compared to when the recording medium is white.

Claims (18)

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a print engine that forms an image with a brilliant toner on a recording medium to be used for printing; and

processing circuitry

to determine whether the recording medium is white or colored and

to control the print engine,

wherein the processing circuitry determines whether the recording medium is white or colored, on a basis of a flop index of the recording medium,

wherein when the processing circuitry determines that the recording medium is colored, the processing circuitry increases an amount of the brilliant toner per unit area of the image formed on the recording medium as compared to when the processing circuitry determines that the recording medium is white.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when a value of the flop index of the recording medium is not less than 7.0, the processing circuitry makes the amount of the brilliant toner per unit area of the image not less than a predetermined value.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when a value of the flop index of the recording medium is not greater than 5.6, the processing circuitry makes the amount of the brilliant toner per unit area of the image less than a predetermined value.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a value of the flop index is obtained by the processing circuitry.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the printer engine includes a plurality of image drum units, each having a detachable developer container containing toner of a different color, and

the brilliant toner is provided in one of the detachable developer containers, the brilliant toner containing a brilliant pigment having a volume median size not greater than 5.4 μm.

6. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry sets a printing speed slower when the recording medium is determined to be white and the brilliant toner image is formed on the recording medium than when the recording medium is determined to be colored and the brilliant toner image is formed on the recording medium.

7. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a print engine that forms an image with a brilliant toner on a recording medium; and

processing circuitry to control the print engine,

wherein when the recording medium is a first medium having a first flop index, the processing circuitry increases an amount of the brilliant toner per unit area of the image formed on the recording medium as compared to when the recording medium is a second medium having a second flop index less than the first flop index.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 19, 2022
From: HIRAIDE, MANAMI
To: OKI ELECTRIC INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058699/0370 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-070238 · Apr 19, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220334508A1 · Oct 20, 2022
References Cited (13)
US 9201338B2 · Kubo · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 9377729B1 · Nakamura · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 11614696B2 · Yamada · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11703786B2 · Shimodaira · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20140043623A1 · Koyatsu et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140093267A1 · Kubo · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20180143553A1 · Kuwabara · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200270470A1 · Boldes (Golan) · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200341397A1 · Matsumoto · 2020 [cited by applicant]
EP 3147714A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2015087513A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018084677A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020085987A · 2020 [cited by applicant]