Abstract: A developing unit includes a plurality of developing rolls over which a developer is conveyed and supplied onto an image carrier which is rotatably supported; and at least one pair of the developing rolls being adjacent to each other. In the pair of the developing rolls, one developing roll rotates in a direction opposite to a rotary direction of the image carrier, and the other developing roll rotates in the same direction of the rotary direction of the image carrier. A regulation member is interposed between the pair of the developing rolls. The regulation member regulates a conveyed amount of the developer. The regulation member is disposed to be opposed to a magnet which is provided within the two adjacent developing rolls. A polarity of the magnet in the pair of developing rolls opposed to each other is different from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member being movable in a predetermined direction; a charging roller that charges a surface of the photosensitive member; and a static pre-eliminator that eliminates static electricity by irradiating the surface of the photosensitive member with light, the static pre-eliminator located on an upstream side of the charging roller in a direction of movement of the photosensitive member; wherein an arrangement and an exposure amount of the static pre-eliminator are set to satisfy E ?0.025×exp(t/?) where ?is a residual time constant of a photo carrier generated in the photosensitive member by the static pre-eliminator, t is a time period from a time when the photosensitive member passes through the static pre-eliminator to a time when the photosensitive member is charged by the charging roller, and E is a normalized exposure amount of the static pre-eliminator.

Abstract: An electrophotographic toner for visualizing an electrostatic latent image formed by an electrophotographic process, an electrostatic printing process, an electrostatic recording process, etc., which is produced in consideration of the environment and safety. The electrophotographic toner includes a fixing resin and a colorant. The electrophotographic toner is a black toner using a titanium compound containing no carbon black as the colorant. The electrophotographic toner may be an electrophotographic two-component black toner using magnetic iron oxide containing no carbon black as the colorant.

Abstract: A sheet-supplying device has a sheet-accommodating tray, a raising/lowering unit, a first position sensor, a second position sensor, a controlling unit. The raising/lowering unit raises and lowers the sheet-accommodating tray substantially. The first position sensor detects a first position indicating a position in the stacked direction of one end portion of a topmost sheet stacked in the sheet-accommodating tray. The second position sensor detects a second position indicating a position in the stacked direction of another end portion of the topmost sheet. The controlling unit controls the raising/lowering unit to raise or lower the sheet-accommodating tray based on both the first position detected by the first position sensor and the second position detected by the second position sensor so that one end of the topmost sheet in the stacked status is positioned at a prescribed position in the stacked direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes detecting means for detecting a toner image formed on an image carrier, and transport means for transporting a sheet. The detecting means is disposed on an inner side in a width of the image carrier, and on an outer side of a contact region with the transport means and the sheet, in a direction perpendicular to a transporting direction of the sheet.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fixing device including: a heating roller that generates a heat and is formed to have a mold releasing property; a pressure belt that is brought into contact with the heating roller and is driven according to a rotation of the heating roller; an arm that presses the pressure belt toward the heating roller; and a belt regulating member that contacts an end face of the pressure belt to regulate a shift thereof and is configured to be swingable with respect to the arm.

Abstract: A web transporting mechanism of a printing apparatus has a buffer mechanism section for absorbing a fluctuation of the web length from a transporting section to a fixing section generated by a difference between a speed of transporting a web in the transporting section and a speed of transporting a web in the fixing section. The web transporting mechanism includes at least one brake member suppressing a motion of a movable buffer. The brake member has a drive means.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor laser apparatus including: a laser device including: a semiconductor substrate, first and second resonators formed on the semiconductor substrate, and first and second electrodes that are respectively connected with the first and the second resonators and extend away from each other; and a submount including: third and fourth electrodes respectively adhered with the first and the second electrodes; wherein each of the first and the second electrodes includes: an energizing portion covering the corresponding resonator, an adhering portion being disposed separately from the energizing portion and having a height larger than that of the energizing portion, and a stress-absorbing portion formed in the adhering portion.

Abstract: A film loading method of an image forming apparatus, includes: loading an endless film which was stored in a container box, using at least two support members, to a film frame of the image forming apparatus, wherein the film is supported by the support members in a different form with respect to a condition of the film when loaded and fitted to the film frame. The support members are initially stored in the container box and serve as a packaging member for use in transporting and storing the film. The support members are attached to respective portions of the film frame and guide the film to be loaded and fitted onto the film frame. The film frame includes holding rollers, and the support members are attached to the respective portions of the film frame, coaxially with the holding rollers.

Abstract: A method for producing an inkjet head for jetting an ink from a nozzle that is formed on a nozzle main body formed of a metal material, the method includes smoothening a surface of the nozzle main body, applying a silica sol solution to the nozzle main body so as to form a silica sol film, wherein the silica sol solution has a concentration that is controlled to avoid a nozzle clogging in the nozzle main body, heating the silica sol film formed on the nozzle main body to thereby convert the silica sol film into an SiO2 film, applying an ink repellent agent solution to the SiO2 film and drying to thereby form an ink repellent film, wherein the ink repellent agent solution is prepared by dissolving a compound having an alkoxysilane residue at an end of a perfluoro polyether chain in a solvent.

Abstract: A paper feeder is capable of minimizing abnormal noise produced at a separation pad during paper feed, without reducing the paper feed capability, for use in an image forming apparatus using the same. Buffers are mounted on the separation pad. This arrangement ensures that, when a stick-slip condition occurs between the paper and separation pad during paper feed, and the separation pad is vibrated by the paper, the buffer vibrates so as to dissipate the vibration energy of the separation pad, with the result that the vibration of the separation pad is minimized, thereby to reduce any abnormal noise.

Abstract: An optical recording apparatus includes a plurality of laser modules, an optical fiber array unit, a photosensitive member, and an optical system. Each laser module includes a light source and an optical fiber. The optical fiber array unit bundles a plurality of optical fibers to form an optical fiber array. The photosensitive member has a photosensitive surface. The optical system scans laser beams outputted from the array of the optical fiber array in a first direction on the photosensitive surface, the laser beams forming dots aligned in a second direction to form an angle with respect to the first direction.

Abstract: An electrophotographic toner comprising at least a fixing resin, a coloring agent, a release agent and a charge control agent, wherein the release agent is carnauba wax, the charge control agent is a boron complex of a salicylic acid derivative, and the fixing resin contains two kinds of polyester resins in ratio represented by the following equation (1); A ? ( T 1 / 2 ) - A ? ( T fb ) B ? ( T 1 / 2 ) - B ? ( T fb ) ? A ? ( T 1 / 2 ) × C B ? ( T 1 / 2 ) × D ? B ? ( T 1 / 2 ) - B ? ( T fb ) A ? ( T 1 / 2 ) - A ? ( T fb ) , ( 1 ) wherein in the above equation, A(T1/2)?A(Tfb)<B(T1/2)?B(Tfb), A(T1/2) represents a softening point (° C.) of the polyester A, A(Tfb) a flow-out start point (° C.) of the polyester A, B(T1/2) a softening point (° C.) of the polyester B, B(Tfb) a flow-out start point (° C.

Abstract: An inkjet head for jetting an ink from a nozzle 6 which is formed on the main body 1 of the nozzle of a metal member, wherein an SiO2 film 2 comprising SiO2 as the main component is formed on the surface of the nozzle main body 1 at least in the ink jetting side, and an ink repellent film 7 comprising a compound having an alkoxysilane residue attached to an end of a perfluoro polyether chain is formed on the SiO2 film 2.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus including heating member having an elastic layer and a heat source and pressing member having an endless shape member and a pressing member for transporting a record medium in a cut sheet shape while being adhered with an unfixed toner image to pass a nip portion formed by the endless shape member and the heating member and fixing the unfixed toner image on the record medium, the fixing apparatus is constructed by a constitution in which a space between the toner image on the record medium and a surface of the heating member is widened immediately after the record medium is projected from an outlet of the nip portion.

Abstract: Invisible information are recorded in the form of pixels invisible to the naked eye and at a print density invisible to the naked eye.

Abstract: An electronic color photography apparatus includes a photosensitive body and a plurality of detachable developing devices. A power for moving the developing devices close to the photosensitive body is created by a retracting force of a slanted teeth gear which is driven at one side of a body of the electronic color photography apparatus.

Abstract: A multi-beam image forming apparatus includes: first and second semiconductor laser arrays each having n laser elements; a multi-beam generation unit that generates 2n laser beams by synthesizing laser beams generated by the first and second semiconductor laser arrays; a beam detection unit that generates synchronous detection signals to obtain synchronous scanning of the respective laser beams; and a control unit. The beam detection unit includes first and second beam detection units disposed substantially at a same position in a main scanning direction and adjacently disposed in a sub-scanning direction. The n laser beams of the first and second semiconductor laser arrays are detected by the first and second beam detection unit, respectively. The control unit controls image formation start positions of the 2n laser beams on the basis of the synchronous detection signals output from the first and the second beam detection units.

Abstract: The invention provides a film driving apparatus in which no adverse effect is caused by a change in the circumferential length of a film even if there arises the change in circumferential length of the film due to environmental fluctuation. In the film driving apparatus, an endless film 1 supported by a driving roller 2, a film support roller 4 and a skew correction roller 3 is rotated in a predetermined direction by the rotation of a driving roller 2. The skew correction roller 3 has a structure in which one end thereof is movable with the other end as a fulcrum. The movement trajectory of the movable end portion of the skew correction roller 3 is an elliptic trajectory not causing any change in the circumferential length of the film 1.

Abstract: An inkjet coating method can achieve high-performance coating with a simple system by forming a precise and uniform coat over a coating area and precise edge parts on the periphery of the coating area. The inkjet coating method, firstly, extracts an edge image and an internal image from coating image. Next, the inkjet coating method forms the edge image including a plurality of edge image portions each extending to different directions, while forming each edge image portion by a single nozzle. And then, the inkjet coating method forms the internal image using a leveling technique.