Abstract: The present invention relates to providing supplemental counts or “clicks” to account for recovery conditions in a document processing system. Furthermore, these recovery condition “clicks” will be further modified depending upon the type of recovery condition encountered. The application of recovery counts thus modified when combined with the system cycle count and suitably summed will provide superior measure of the wear for a replaceable element as well as improved indication for the determination of the end of life of a replaceable element in that system. In this manner, the more timely service or substitution for that replaceable element in the system can be provided, thereby allowing costs and service down-time to be minimized.

Abstract: A transfer assist blade for an electrophotograhic printing machine that provides the necessary stiffness to allow complete transfer of a toner image while avoiding excessive bending stress in the blade. The blade is made up of a semiconductive polyester layer bonded to a non-semiconductive polyester layer. A third and fourth layer of high molecular weight polyethylene are bonded o the second layer. These third and fourth layers do not extend the full length of the blade to provide supplemental stiffness while avoiding excess bending stress.

Abstract: A toner container used with a developing device in an image forming apparatus is disclosed having a toner accommodating portion adapted for accommodating toner; a stirring member adapted for stirring toner in the toner accommodating portion, toner supplying openings for output of toner from the toner container to the developing device, a sliding cover adapted for closing/opening the toner supplying openings, and projections respectively protruded from the sliding cover and adapted for engaging into toner receiving openings of the developing device for enabling the toner container to be moved relative to the sliding cover and the developing device to close/open the toner supplying openings.

Abstract: When any of the functions: copier function, printer function and facsimile function, are not being performed, the function information display portion provides display messages ‘Copier available’, ‘Printer available’ and Fax available’, using the display areas equal in size, arranged in the vertical direction. When a print request is given from an external apparatus, the function information display portion provides a display message ‘Printer function engaged’ along with the image processing operating conditions and provides display messages ‘Copier function partly available’ and ‘Facsimile function partly available’ in the left and right halves of the display section. While the printer function is in progress, the information relating to the printer function is displayed in the display area four times as large as that for the copier function and that for the facsimile function.

Abstract: To reduce errors in a detection of pattern images to enable aberrations to be detected accurately.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image carrier for forming a toner image thereon. A conveyor conveys a synthetic resin sheet. An image transferring device transfers the toner image from the image carrier to the synthetic resin sheet being conveyed by the conveyor. A fixing device is located downstream of the image carrier in a direction of sheet conveyance for fixing the toner image transferred to the synthetic resin sheet. The fixing device includes a heat roller capable of contacting the synthetic resin sheet. The heat roller is freely rotatable and caused to rotate by the synthetic resin sheet being conveyed by the conveyor when the sheet contacts the heat roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing body, a charging device for charging the image bearing body, a developing device for forming a developer image by developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing body, a transferring device for transferring the developer image to an image-receiving member, and first and second charge-applying devices. The first charge-applying device is provided at a downstream side of the transferring device and at an upstream side of the charging device in a moving direction of the image bearing body, for charging a residual developer remaining on the image bearing body after a transfer effected by the transferring device to a polarity opposite to a normal charging polarity of the developer.

Abstract: A plasma display panel that is capable of improving the discharge and light-emission efficiencies and the brightness. In the panel, a sustaining electrode pair is formed on an upper substrate in such a manner to be positioned at the edges of a discharge cell. A trigger electrode pair is positioned between the sustaining electrode pair to cause a trigger discharge for deriving a sustaining discharge. Dielectric layers are formed on the sustaining electrode pair and the trigger electrode pair to have a different thickness.

Abstract: Toner (5) is measured in a toner cartridge (1) by compressing the air in the upper part (7) of the toner hopper (3). The result of the compression is observed by a diaphragm (13) or, alternatively, by a pressure transducer (25). The volume of air is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency of diaphragm (13) or the pressure at pressure transducer (25). This is converted by control system (23) using direct equations or table look-up of empirical data. The diaphragm (13) carries a magnet (15), which is driven by coil (19) from the imaging device and then frequency of current induced by magnet (15) is then sensed by coil (19). Uneven toner piling is not a significant factor in the results measured.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heater for heating a recording material for fixing a transferred toner image to the recording material at a transfer portion. A fixing unit includes at least one overheat preventive device for preventing the heater from overheating. A recording material sensor detects a front end timing of the recording material. A part of all of the at least one overheat preventive device is placed on a plane perpendicular to a conveyance surface of the recording material and passing the recording material sensor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a photoreceptor having a image carrying surface, an exposing device to imagewise expose the image carrying surface to form a latent image, and a developing device to develop the latent image to form a toner image on the image carrying surface. The exposing device has a light source which emits a light beam, a deflector which deflects the light beam to form a scanning line with the light beam on the image carrying surface, a cylindrical lens between the deflector and the image carrying surface which focuses the light beam on the image carrying surface, and an adjusting mechanism which adjusts an inclination of the scanning line and adjusts variance in magnification of an image on the scanning line.

Abstract: In a printing system in which a rotatable print image bearing belt is mounted on at least one axial belt roller, and the belt must be maintained in a desired substantially consistent lateral registration to maintain image quality, the lateral misregistration of the belt is sensed and a low and substantially constant lateral positional corrective force is applied to the belt in response to the sensing of the lateral misregistration in one of the two directions axial of the axial belt roller for at least one complete rotation of the rotatable print image bearing belt, the low and substantially constant transverse corrective force having a force level sufficient to provide the desired substantially consistent lateral registration of the print image bearing belt.

Abstract: Optical systems are disposed in the two symmetrical direction with respect to an optical deflector, and direct the optical beams deflected by the optical deflector into respective surfaces to be scanned, and forming images thereon. A housing encloses a plurality of light sources, optical deflector and optical systems, the housing includes a base plate on which the optical deflector and optical system, and a side wall surrounding the base plate; the base plate divides the housing into two sections; the plurality of light sources are disposed on the side wall; and optical components of the optical systems are distributed into the two sections of the housing.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which has a developer container for containing developer, the container being detachably mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus, developer amount detecting device for detecting an amount of the developer contained in the developer container, and determining device for determining the amount of the developer in accordance with a maximum value of a detected amount of the developer amount detecting device.

Abstract: An electro-mechanical roll such as a bias transfer roll for use in a printing or copying apparatus comprising a conductive core having a segmented layer of compressible material positioned in a tandem relation to another thereon to form a generally cylindrical roll member.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the deflection of a belt in an electrophotographic printing machine includes an elongate arm member having a first end and a second end. The second end engages and is displaced by the belt. A gearbox includes a plurality of gears interconnected into a gear arrangement, and a gearbox shaft rotatable by the gear arrangement. The second end of the arm member is coupled to the gear arrangement, which converts displacement of the second end of the arm member to rotation of the gearbox shaft. An encoder is associated with the gearbox shaft. The encoder includes at least one encoder output. The encoder senses rotation of the gearbox shaft and issues electrical pulses on the encoder output. The electrical pulses are indicative of the magnitude and direction of the rotation of the gearbox shaft. A counter includes at least one counter input and at least one counter output. The counter input is electrically connected to the encoder output.

Abstract: A developer reference system for a contact development process having machine frame mounted support rollers for the developer roll. Skew between the PC drum and the developer roll is reduced by referencing each to the same support structure. Rolling resistance of the developer roll support rollers is reduced by using thin diameter metal pins for mounting the support rollers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an apparatus body, a single vertical stay disposed between optical writing devices and image forming cartridges and extending from a top wall to a bottom wall of the apparatus body, a plurality of horizontal stays disposed at least between consecutive image forming cartridges, and being attached to the single vertical stay, and a plurality of structural members disposed at least between consecutive image forming devices and being attached to the vertical stay. Further, the horizontal stays, the single vertical stay, the structural members and the apparatus body comprise a single structural body.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image heating apparatus for heating an image on a recording material that has a heating member, a first heat generating element mounted on the heating member, a second heat generating element mounted on the heating member, a temperature detecting element for detecting a temperature of the heating member, the temperature detecting element being disposed in an area where the recording material of a predetermined minimum size does not pass, and power supply control device for controlling electric power supply to the first and second heat generating elements in conformity with both of the detected temperature by the temperature detecting element and the number of continuously passing recording materials.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device for an electrophotographic printing machine that minimizes trail edge flip when delivering a sheet to a photoreceptor at a desired tangential position. The sheet feeding device includes a baffle member which has two control points, one of which is an idler roller. The baffle further includes a ramp member which controls the trail edge of a sheet to maximize the beam length to reduce the bending energy which results in trail edge flip.