IP Library Granted Patent US 12,625,448
Granted Patent B2
US 12,625,448 · App. 19/004,743 · Granted May 12, 2026

Image forming device

Inventor: Kazuki Kawajiri (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G03G15/5008G03G15/5004G03G15/5033G06K15/14G06K15/4055
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,625,448
App. No.
19/004,743
Granted
May 12, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image forming device includes an image carrier, an image former including a charging member, a rotation driver that rotationally drives the image carrier, a date and time acquirer that acquires a date and time, a receiver that receives predetermined input information, which is an operation and/or a state of predetermined processing or is data, a controller, and a storage. When a determination processor determines that an input detection date and time is a date and time on or after a next rotation date and time, the controller performs predetermined distance rotation control of driving the rotation driver to rotate the image carrier by a predetermined movement distance and then stopping the image carrier.

Claims (50)

1 . An image forming device comprising:

an image carrier;

an image former including a charging member that comes into contact with a surface of the image carrier and charges the surface of the image carrier;

a rotation driver that rotationally drives the image carrier;

a date and time acquirer that acquires a date and time;

a receiver that receives predetermined input information, the predetermined input information being an operation and/or a state of predetermined processing, or being data;

a controller; and

a storage,

wherein the controller includes

a calculation processor that acquires, from the date and time acquirer, a rotation stop date and time, which is a date and time when rotation of the image carrier has stopped, and that stores, in the storage, a date and time obtained by adding a predetermined additional period to the acquired rotation stop date and time, as a next rotation date and time, and

a determination processor that acquires a date and time from the date and time acquirer when the receiver has received the predetermined input information, and that determines whether an input detection date and time, which is the acquired date and time, is a date and time on or after the next rotation date and time stored in the storage, and

when the determination processor determines that the input detection date and time is the date and time on or after the next rotation date and time, the controller performs predetermined distance rotation control of driving the rotation driver to rotate the image carrier by a predetermined movement distance and then stopping the image carrier.

2 . The image forming device according to claim 1 ,

wherein when the predetermined distance rotation control is performed and the image carrier is stopped, the calculation processor calculates the next rotation date and time and stores the next rotation date and time in the storage to update the next rotation date and time.

3 . The image forming device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the predetermined movement distance is more than one time and equal to or less than five times a contact width of a contact portion between the charging member and the image carrier in a circumferential direction.

4 . The image forming device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a control power source that supplies power to the controller; and

an operation power source that supplies power to the image former and the rotation driver,

wherein the controller selectively executes a first mode of supplying power from the control power source to the controller and supplying power from the operation power source to the image former and the rotation driver, and a second mode of supplying power from the control power source to the controller and turning off the operation power source,

the controller executes the first mode during a stand-by period being a period shorter than the additional period from the rotation stop date and time, and executes the second mode when the receiver does not receive the predetermined input information during the stand-by period, and

when the receiver receives the predetermined input information during the execution of the second mode, the controller causes the determination processor to make the determination.

5 . The image forming device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the storage includes a first storage used when performing non-image forming processing being processing other than image forming processing,

the controller includes a first controller that performs the non-image forming processing and a second controller that performs the image forming processing,

the first controller includes the calculation processor, the determination processor, and the first storage,

the second controller includes the rotation driver,

the date and time acquirer and the receiver are connected to the first controller,

the control power source supplies power to both the first controller and the second controller when the first mode is selected, and supplies power to only the first controller when the second mode is selected, and

the first controller causes the first storage to store the next rotation date and time calculated by the calculation processor, executes the first mode when the determination processor determines, during the second mode, that the input detection date and time is the date and time on or after the next rotation date and time, and executes the second mode once again after the second controller has performed the predetermined distance rotation control.

6 . The image forming device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the storage includes a second storage used when performing image forming processing,

the controller includes a first controller that performs non-image forming processing being processing other than the image forming processing and a second controller that performs the image forming processing,

the first controller includes the determination processor,

the second controller includes the calculation processor, the second storage, and the rotation driver,

the date and time acquirer and the receiver are connected to the first controller,

the control power source supplies power to both the first controller and the second controller during execution of the first mode, and supplies power to only the first controller during execution of the second mode,

the second controller causes the second storage to store the next rotation date and time calculated by the calculation processor, and

the first controller executes the first mode when causing the determination processor to determine whether the input detection date and time is a date and time on or after the next rotation date and time, reads out the next rotation date and time from the second storage, and determines whether to perform the predetermined distance rotation control.

7 . The image forming device according to claim 1 ,

wherein when the input information is an execution of image forming processing, without performing the predetermined distance rotation control, the controller controls the rotation driver to rotate the image carrier to cause the image former to form an image, causes the calculation processor to calculate the next rotation date and time at a timing when the image carrier is stopped after the image forming processing is completed, and causes the storage to store the next rotation date and time to update the next rotation date and time.

8 . The image forming device according to claim 1 , comprising

an operation receiver that receives an input operation by an operator,

wherein the input information includes non-rotation operation information indicating, of the input operation received by the operation receiver, a non-rotation operation that does not cause the image carrier to rotate.

9 . The image forming device according to claim 1 , comprising

an input unit that receives an input of communication information from an external device,

wherein the input information includes the communication information received by the input unit.

10 . The image forming device according to claim 1 , comprising

a human detector that detects an approach of a person,

wherein the input information includes human detection information indicating that the human detector has detected the person.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 30, 2024
From: KAWAJIRI, KAZUKI
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 069697/0914 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2024-002302 · Jan 11, 2024 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20260118805A1 · Apr 30, 2026
References Cited (4)
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US 20200150575A1 · Yamaki · 2020 [cited by examiner]
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