Abstract: In an endless belt type image heating apparatus, in accordance with an endless belt contact state, an endless belt rotational speed, and a kind of a recording material, the steering displacement of an endless belt deviation control is determined, and excess the endless belt deviation is prevented by complimenting the control factoring a deviation tendency.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cleaning blade for cleaning a surface of an object to be cleaned, comprising: a contact portion that contacts the surface of the object for cleaning, the contact portion being made of a material satisfying the following inequalities (1) to (3): 3.92?M?29.42??(1); 0<??0.294; and??(2) S?250??(3) wherein M denotes 100% modulus (MPa); ? denotes the ratio {?stress/?strain degree=(stress at 200% strain degree?stress at 100% strain degree)/(200?100)} (MPa/%) of the stress alteration (?stress) to the strain alteration (?strain) in a range of 100% to 200% strain degree in the stress-strain curve; and S denotes the breaking elongation (%), and a cleaning apparatus, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus comprising the cleaning blade.

Abstract: A cover for use in an apparatus includes a plate and at least one rib. The plate has an inner surface, and at the least one rib is formed on the inner surface of the plate to define one or more compartments. Each compartment is configured to receive a corresponding part removed from the apparatus.

Abstract: A part of a toner supply path is formed in a setting unit (100), and a nozzle (110) coupled to a toner container (20) is provided, wherein the fitting direction of the toner container (20) to the setting unit (100) and the coupling direction of the nozzle (110) to the toner container (20) are different.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus has first and second heating members and a current control unit which controls a number of waves and each of a first AC current to the first heating member and a second AC current to the second heating member in a positive-negative symmetrical pattern by a unit of predetermined number of half-waves. Regardless of a duty ratio of the first heating member and the second heating member, when the current control unit controls a number of waves so that the second AC current is larger than the first AC current in the first duty ratio, the current control unit controls the number of waves so that the first AC current is larger than the second AC current in a second duty ratio adjacent to the first duty ratio.

Abstract: A device and a method using a printing device and system for printing sheets whereby, for each sheet, at least one register mark per color printing unit of the multi-color printing machine is produced, assigned to said sheet and defined with respect to its position, so that in duplex printing register marks are applied to each side. The position of each mark is determined by analyzing the position of the mark assigned to the appropriate previous recto or verso sheet.

Abstract: A tandem type color image forming machine comprises a plurality of image forming units, a belt mechanism comprising an endless belt including a linear moving area, and a paper feed cassette in its image information machine body. The image forming units are arranged along the linear moving area of the belt with a space therebetween. The belt mechanism is arranged longitudinally so that the linear moving area of the belt extends almost in the vertical direction. The paper feed cassette is arranged longitudinally in the lateral direction of the belt mechanism or below the belt mechanism.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing apparatus includes a housing, a photoreceptor module located inside the housing that includes a photoreceptor, a raster output system located inside the housing for projecting an electrostatic image onto the photoreceptor, a charging station, a developer station, a transfer station, a pre-fuser transport, and a fusing station. The module may be removed from an operating position inside the housing. The transfer station is connected to the pre-fuser transport so that they are constrained to move as one unit when the photoreceptor module is in its operating position inside the housing but are disconnected when the photoreceptor module is removed from its operating position inside the housing. The transfer module may be mounted so as to be constrained by a pre-fuser transport.

Abstract: A developer station and related method for distributed replenishment of toner as well as powder coatings and related materials. The developer station is divided into a first space adjacent or within a second space, the first space located adjacent a toner supply and the second space including a developer sump. The first space includes a toner-conveying device located in the first space, the toner-conveying device having a tapered body with a first end and a second end. A conveyance housing is located adjacent to and disposed such that the toner conveying device conveys the toner toward the developer sump as it travels from the first end of the toner conveying device to the second end of the toner conveying device, the housing having slots or openings so that the toner is deposited in the developer sump along the length of the conveying device.

Abstract: In a method and device to separate toner material and air from a toner material-air mixture, and first operating phase at toner material-air mixture is supplied to a filter so that air flows through the filter in a first direction. In a second operating phase, the flow of air through the filter in a first direction is interrupted such that toner material deposited on the filter is loosened. In a second operating phase, air flows through the filter in a direction approximately opposite to the first direction. Also in a method device for dosing toner material in an electrophotographic printer or copier, toner material is introduced into at least one bucket chamber rotatably arranged in an opening at a bottom of a toner reservoir. The bucket chamber has a paddle wheel which seals the opening of the toner reservoir. As the paddlewheel rotates, toner material in the bucket chamber is conveyed into a region. The toner material conveyed from the paddlewheel is further conveyed with a screw conveyor.

Abstract: A fuser apparatus includes first and second rolls rotatably mounted parallel to and in contact with each other to form a nip through which print media with a toner image thereon is passed to fuse the image to the print media. A cleaning system is provided for cleaning one of the rolls, such as the fuser roll. The cleaning system includes a rotatably mounted cleaning roll, an outer surface thereof including a pile. A flicker bar is arranged to detach toner from the pile.

Abstract: The invention provides an image-forming apparatus, having an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a charging unit, a light-exposure unit, a development unit, a transfer unit, and a controller that controls the traveling speed of the peripheral surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor and that thus makes a period from charging to development variable, wherein: the electrophotographic photoreceptor has an undercoat layer and a photosensitive layer; and the undercoat layer contains metal oxide fine particles with an acceptor compound added thereto; and an image is formed by charging, light exposure, development and transfer while causing the peripheral surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to travel in a predetermined direction; and a process cartridge that is detachable from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is described. The image forming apparatus may include a main body casing, a reference shaft, a photosensitive unit, developing units and a pressing member. The photosensitive unit is detachably attachable to the main body casing along an attachment/detachment direction, holds photosensitive members, and has an engaging portion. The developing unit has a developing agent carrier. The pressing member is configured to linearly move along the attachment/detachment direction between a press position for pressing the developing unit to press the developing agent carrier into contact with the photosensitive member and a press releasing position for releasing this press contact. The pressing member urges the developing unit in a direction in which the engaging portion comes into engagement with the reference shaft in a process of moving from the press releasing position to the press position.

Abstract: A cleaning station for removing particulate material from a moving web in an electrographic printer/copier includes a customer-replaceable web-cleaner device with a support bracket/backup shoe assembly. A quick disconnect feature enables the cleaner cover to be de-coupled from the cleaner body to allow the debris to be easily removed with replacing the web-cleaner. The cleaner has a cleaner sump that is spring loaded to force contact of four strategically placed stops in the sump with a stationary back up shoe assembly allowing for higher precision of blade engagement with a transport web or a photoconductor. The web-cleaner has two wiper blades that are locked into the cleaner sump by springs, to facilitate dumping of material removed from the web without removing the cleaning blades.

Abstract: A partition is provided to isolate a space from outside thereof, the space encompassing a space where an image holding member, a developing device, a charging device, a transfer device, and a fixing device. The isolated space is under reduced pressure. This allows the image forming apparatus to avoid negative effect caused by humidity change.

Abstract: An amount of toner transfer on a reference pattern is calculated by using an optical detecting unit that detects both regular reflection light and diffuse reflection light from a detection target simultaneously, based on a relative ratio between a value obtained by subtracting a result of multiplying a “diffuse reflection output” by a “minimum value of a ratio between a regular reflection output and the diffuse reflection output” from the “regular reflection output” of the density detection reference pattern, and a value obtained by subtracting a result of multiplying the “diffuse reflection output” by a “minimum value of a ratio between the regular reflection output and the diffuse reflection output” from the “regular reflection output” in the background of a transfer belt or an intermediate transfer body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that supports an image, a contact transfer member that sandwiches a transfer medium in a transfer area between the contact transfer member and the image carrier and electrostatically transfers the image on the image carrier onto the transfer medium, and a transfer medium guiding device to guide the transfer medium to the transfer area between the image carrier and the contact transfer member.

Abstract: An isolating wall is provided for isolating, from a space outside the isolation wall, a space including: a photosensitive drum; a developing unit; a charging device; a transfer device; and a fixing device. With this configuration, the space in which powder toner (toner which is not fixed on a recording material by the fixing device) is present is isolated from the space outside the isolation wall. Thus, in an image forming apparatus using powder developer, this configuration makes it possible to (i) prevent the floating toner from going out of the image forming apparatus, or (ii) prevent the floating toner from deteriorating a function of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A powder container for use in an image forming apparatus. The powder container includes a powder storage section, a dispenser, a shutter, and a closing mechanism. The dispenser has an opening which faces horizontally and is oriented to receive a horizontal nozzle. The shutter is horizontally disposed within the dispenser and is movable by a nozzle of the image forming apparatus. The closing mechanism is arranged to receive a force when the nozzle is removed from the opening and when the powder container is disconnected from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A line sensor that detects the edge position of a recording paper is provided on the upstream side of a transfer point where an image formed on a first photosensitive drum is transferred to the recording paper. When performing borderless image formation, the size of the image on the first photosensitive drum to be transferred to the midstream of the recording paper after detection of its edge position is changed to a smaller size based on the detection results by the line sensor, and subsequent image formation to the recording paper continues to be performed according to this image on the photosensitive drum whose size has been changed.