Abstract: A multicolor electrostatic imaging system has multicolor spray apparatus for supplying a liquid toner of a selectable color to an electrostatic image. The spray means has a multiplicity of spray outlets including a plurality of spray outlets distributed among the multiplicity of outlets, for supplying liquid toner of each of a plurality of colors.

Abstract: The present invention realizes to shorten the assembling process of a process cartridge, by employing a first support member supporting an image bearing member, a second support member supporting a development unit for acting on the image bearing member to thereby develope an image of the image bearing member, a defining member for defining the rotary shaft between the first and second support members, and a compression spring for generating an elastic force between the image bearing member and the development unit.

Abstract: A transfer drum has a dielectric layer and a conductive layer laminated in this order from a transfer material side. The transfer drum is provided with a power source section for applying a predetermined voltage to the conductive layer, and a grounded semiconductive roller, formed on the surface of the dielectric layer by using a semiconductor having elasticity. The semiconductive roller is brought into contact with the dielectric layer through the transfer material. For this reason, since a nip width, namely, a nip time can be easily adjusted, even if a type of the transfer material is changed, for example, the transfer material can electrostatically adhere to the transfer drum stably. As a result, unsatisfactory transfer of a toner image to the transfer material is eliminated, and thus the satisfactory image can be formed on the transfer material. Moreover, an image forming apparatus having a low-priced arrangement can be provided.

Abstract: A color image output apparatus having a plurality of single color image forming units for different colors arrayed in-line. Each single color image forming unit includes a toner box, a photosensitive drum and a transfer roller, and provides a position adjusting unit for moving its image transfer portion in a direction toward and away from or normal to a running direction of an intermediate image transfer belt. Each position adjusting unit includes a motor fixed to the toner box, a thread fixed to an output shaft of the motor, an arm fixed to a main frame and engageable with the thread. Each rotation of each motor provides independent movement of each toner box of each single color image forming unit. This movement provides inclination of the intermediate image transfer belt between neighboring image transfer portions.

Abstract: To bring a sheet 6 electrostatically into intimate contact with a conveyor belt 1 for transporting the sheet 6 by attraction means 60, a press roll 50A for pressing the sheet 6 against the conveyor belt 1 is disposed upstream from the attraction means 60. The press roll 50A is formed at the center with a large diameter part 51 for pressing the center of the sheet 6 stronger than both ends thereof. When transfer to the rear side of the sheet is executed at double-sided image formation, if both ends of the sheet 6 come in contact with the conveyor belt 1, the center of the sheet 6 is pressed strong, whereby deformation at the center is suppressed and a swell is smoothed out in the both-end direction. Relief parts at the rear end of the sheet are also prevented. Resultantly, the intimate contact property of the sheet 6 with the conveyor belt 1 is improved.

Abstract: Toning apparatus for toning an electrostatic latent image, having image and background portions at different potentials on an imaging surface. The apparatus comprises an endless toning surface coated with a layer of concentrated toner and engaging the imaging surface at a toning region. The apparatus additionally comprises a source of voltage connected to the toning surface and electrifying the toning surface to a voltage operative to selectively transfer at least a portion of the layer to image portions on the imaging surface. A developed mass per unit area (DMA) controller having an input indicative of the DMA on the imaging surface is operative to adjust the DMA on the toning surface in response to the input.

Abstract: A band printer having a transport mechanism, an endless photoreceptive image carrying ribbon, a latent toner imaging apparatus, a transfer mechanism, and a fixing mechanism is disclosed. The transport mechanism defines a printing medium path extending in a first direction and transports a printing medium along the printing medium path. The endless photoreceptive image carrying ribbon circulates adjacent the printing medium path in a second direction at an angle to the first direction, and the latent toner imaging apparatus is adjacent to and stationary with respect to the circulating ribbon. The imaging apparatus forms an electrostatic latent toner image on the surface of the ribbon according to received image data as the ribbon moves past the imaging apparatus, and the transfer mechanism transfers the formed toner image to the printing medium when the formed toner image is aligned with the printing medium. Thereafter, the fixing mechanism fixes the image to the printing medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member for bearing an image thereon, an intermediate transfer member having a base body and an elastic member provided outside the base body and onto which an image is transferrable from the image bearing member, and a second transfer member forming a nip portion between the second transfer member and the intermediate transfer member, for transferring an image from the intermediate transfer member to a transfer material in the nip portion. The hardness of the surface of the second transfer member is greater than the hardness of the surface of the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accurately and quickly enabling a technical representative to diagnose the source (or identify the component(s)) that is the root cause of the motion quality defect being experienced to reduce down time of the printing machine. The output of an encoder on the photoreceptor, electronically measured, translates variations in the photoreceptor velocity into voltage. The voltage is then converted into frequency, using a Fast Fourier Transform, for comparison to a predetermined set of frequencies associated with defective drive components to identify the source of the motion quality defect.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charge apparatus comprising a charge member to which voltage is applied for charging a member to be charged, the charge member having a bearing member for bearing a magnetic particle layer contacted with the member to be charged. The bearing member includes therein a plurality of magnetic poles disposed in a circumferential direction thereof, and the magnetic poles are arranged in a spiral fashion.

Abstract: An endless toner transport which connects a developing device with a cleaning device is disposed so as to pass through these devices in their respective longitudinal directions. The mixing of toner can be enhanced by returning recovered toner to the developing device and by supplying fresh toner to the cleaning device by using the toner transport itself, whereby the reuse of recovered toner and the reduction of the quantity of fresh toner used can be conducted more effectively. In the processes of transporting toner from the developing device to the cleaning device and from the cleaning device to the developing device, toner can effectively be stirred and mixed by utilizing oscillation or the like generated in the endless toner transport which can be in the form of a coil spring so that an additional stirring member is not required, thereby allowing the developing device, and hence the entire image forming apparatus, to be greatly reduced in size.

Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus using an a-Si photosensitive drum. The a-Si photosensitive drum has a thickness between 2 and 25 .mu.m. The initial charging potential on the photosensitive drum is set to 450V or below. The center exposure wavelength of an exposure means is set to 700 nm or above. The photosensitive drum includes a photoconductive layer formed as a thin film a-Si layer having a temperature characteristic of 1.0 V/.degree.C. or below. For realizing low charging potential and low electric field development, the thickness d of the photoconductive layer in the photosensitive drum is set to 2 to 24 .mu.m, the relative dielectric constant .epsilon.r is set to 2 or above, and the ratio d/.epsilon.r is set to 9 or below.

Abstract: In a scheduling system which optimizes a sequence of operations for carrying out, for example, digital printing of simplex and duplex documents, a "schedule tree" is created and updated in real time. The schedule tree is a running list of all possible schedules or sequences of operations within a future time frame, given a desired output of documents. Various techniques are used to manage the size of the tree and select schedules from the schedule tree to be proposed to the printing apparatus over time.

Abstract: A developer amount controlling member which has a support layer for controlling pressure and an elastic layer for controlling triboelectricity provided thereon, wherein both end portions of the developer amount controlling member are curved from the central portion thereof towards the elastic layer side.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cleaning charged triboelectric negative toner residual particles from the photoreceptor surface. A positive bias is applied to two electrostatic brushes in the dual cleaning system or to a single electrostatic brush. The rotational speed of the single positive brush is increased, over that of the individual brushes in a dual brush cleaner, to clean charged triboelectric negative toner particles.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes a drum type image forming body; four charging devices for charging the image forming body; four exposure devices fixed on the main body for imagewise exposing the charged image and forming body to form a latent image; four developing devices each for developing the latent image to form a different colored toner image. After operations by the charging devices, the exposure devices and the developing devices are repeated to superimpose the different colored toner images on the image forming body, the superimposed colored toner images are transferred by a transfer device including an intermediate transferring member and a transfer member in contact with the intermediate transferring member onto a recording material at one time.

Abstract: A photosensitive drum unit for an image forming device includes a tubular member having two openings at the opposite ends thereof, two flange members pressed into the openings of the tubular member, and an electroconductive ground plate attached to one or both of the flange members. The ground plate is provided with a plurality of projections formed integrally with the ground plate. The projections engage with the tubular member in order to create an electrical connection between the photosensitive drum and the body of the image forming device.

Abstract: A remote diagnosis apparatus comprising communication control units which store particular data sent from a plurality of copying machines and execute communication control for the data and a controller which is connected via a public line network to the communication control units and into which data stored in the communication control units is inputted to be stored therein, the communication control units comprising a counter counting times of recalling, and a control means for sending a call again in a state where particular data can not be transmitted and setting a particular value in the counter when new data to be transmitted is received while waiting for an opportunity to send a call again.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatably supported endless belt and a nip forming member arranged outside the belt in circumferential contact therewith to form a nipping region. Heat generators are arranged adjacent the nipping region. Each heat generator is extended in a transverse direction of the belt, and spaced apart a certain distance from the neighboring one. A controller controls the heat generators so that a temperature of the belt heated by one of heating means is maintained until a subsequent heating.

Abstract: An illumination system having spatially separate horizontal and vertical intermediate image planes. A beam expander is used to expand a laser beam and direct the light to a lens array. A condenser projects and concentrates the light from the lens array into a spatially separate vertical and horizontal intermediate image planes. A relay re-images the spatially separate vertical and horizontal intermediate image planes at a single plane at a reticle. The image of the reticle is thereby projected onto a wafer. Width adjusting means and height adjusting means are located at the respective horizontal and vertical intermediate image planes. The zoomable beam expander is used to change the partial coherence independently in both planes without loss of light. The changeable lens array is used to independently change the two-dimensions of the field of view of the illumination system without loss of light.