Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material comprising: a plurality of processing devices for forming the image; a detector for detecting at least a quantity of state relating to a control of the processing devices; a fuzzy inference computer for inferring, in accordance with the quantity of state, a quantity of control for use to control the processing devices.

Abstract: Sheet transportation apparatus operating in an image forming system for xerographic printing employing magnetic toner. The inventive features of the sheet processing apparatus are directed toward smooth transportation and discharge of printing sheets sent through a system image printing unit, across a sheet transport guide, and through an image fixing and sheet transporting unit which finally discharges the printing sheets. The sheet transport guide dips downward and meets a sheet admission guide, having superficial resistivity lower than that of the sheet transport guide to reduce electrical repulsion of the leading edge of a transported sheet. The sheet admission guide guides each sheet into a nipping position of a heating/pressure roller pair as fixing rollers in the image fixing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a movable image bearing member, such as a movable amorphous silicon photosensitive member, and an image forming member forms an image on a surface of the image bearing member. The image on the surface of the photosensitive member is transferred to a transfer material. A separator electrostatically separates the transfer material from the photosensitive member after the image is transferred by the transferring member. The separator is supplied with an electric power having a voltage of a waveform which periodically changes. In one embodiment, the voltage waveform includes at least two sine waves of different frequencies superposed to lower the peak value of the first sine wave.

Abstract: In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a potential measurement device for measuring the surface potential of the electrostatic latent image and a reflective density measurement device for measuring the density of a visible image developed from the latent image are made movable, in mutually synchronized manner, along the axial direction of the rotating photosensitive member. In this manner the image forming ability can be measured over the entire surface of the photosensitive member, and the process conditions can be suitably regulated according to the results of measurements.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying sheet members, equipped with a conveyer guide member that extends from the downstream side of a toner image-transfer position of a photosensitive drum toward a fixing unit and a grounding plate member that is disposed on the lower surface side of the conveyer guide member. The conveyer guide member is made of a material having an electric resistance not smaller than the electric resistance of the sheet member, and the grounding plate member is made of a material having an electric resistance smaller than the electric resistance of the conveyer guide member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus utilizing an ink jet recording head and including a plurality of processing devices for forming the image; a detector which detects a quantity of a state, i.e. temperature, humidity, idle time, suspened dust, etc., related to a control of the image processing devices; and an inferrence computer which uses fuzzy logic in analizing the detected quantity of state to control the processing devices.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a guide member for guiding toner toward an image bearing member bearing an electrostatic image thereon, the guide member having a first end and a second end, a vibration generating device for applying an ultrasonic oscillation to the guide member proximate one of the first end and the second end of the guide member, and a vibration absorbing device for absorbing the ultrasonic oscillation in the guide member at the other one of the first end and the second end, wherein toner is conveyed on the guide member in a direction from the absorbing device to the vibration applying device. In one aspect, the toner is a magnetic toner, and a magnetic field is generated on the guide member at a position opposite a surface for guiding the toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus include an image forming device for forming a toner image on a recording material. The image forming device includes an electrical discharger, a fixing device for fixing the toner image with heat, and a air discharging device for discharging air between the fixing device and electrical discharger in the apparatus. The fixing device includes a heated roller having a surface on which a parting agent is applied to facilitate separation of the recording sheet from the roller. A controller controls the air discharging device in accordance with a heated state of the surface of the roller.

Abstract: In a facsimile apparatus, a received image data is stored in a memory, and an image represented by the image data is enlarged according to an enlargement ratio determined by the user and is outputted onto recording paper. The image data stored in the memory is maintained until another image data is received.

Abstract: An ultrasonic oscillation is applied in the neighborhood of one end of a guide member for supporting and guiding a powder, so that a transverse proceeding wave is generated in the guide member. The powder moves from the other end of the guide member toward a position of the applied ultrasonic oscillation under the action of this proceeding wave.

Abstract: A developing apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image includes a developing device, means for supplying a powdery developer, and a developer carrying member for carrying the powdery developer supplied by the developing device to a developing zone where a latent image bearing member passes. The developer carrying member is blast-treated with irregular particles, and subsequently is blast-treated with regular particles having an average particle size larger than that of the irregular particles, wherein a developer carrying surface of the developer carrying member has a mixed first portion provided by the blast-treatment with the irregular particles only, and a second portion provided by the blast-treatment with the irregular particles and subsequent blast-treatment with the regular particles. A blasting energy applied to the developer carrying member, per unit area thereof, is smaller in the blast-treatment with regular particles than in the blast-treatment with irregular particles.

Abstract: An image-forming machine includes a detachably mountable process unit. The process unit has a rotatable drum having an electrostatographic material thereon, a corona discharger, a developing device and a cleaning device. The developing device includes a development housing for holding a developer, a developer applicator for applying the developer to the electrostatographic material, and an agitating device for stirring the developer in the development housing. An agitating member of the agitating device is arranged to prevent damage of the agitating device due to forces resisting agitation motion by the agitating member. The developer applicator has a sleeve member for holding a developer on its surface, and a developer regulating blade which regulates the developer layer thickness, on the surface of the sleeve member, to provide an uniform developer thickness in the width direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a detector for measuring the surface potential of a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed and a controller which regulates image formation plural times in accordance with the measured surface potential based on the length of time between image formations. In another aspect, the image forming apparatus includes a light source and a setting device for manually setting the quantity of light therefrom between a maximum and minimum value. A test sample of a predetermined optical density is arranged to be illuminated by the light source so as to produce a test light for projection onto a recording medium. A detector detects an electrical surface condition of the test-lighted recording medium. In response to the detected electrical surface conditions, and a controller regulates the image formation in accordance with the detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus using electrostatic images includes a state quantity detection device for detecting states which would exert some influence on the formation of images as quantities, a control quantity control device for controlling the operation of a process for forming images on an image bearing member, a rule storage device for relating the relation between the state quantities and the control quantity by a control device as a certain rule and storing it, and an inference device for inferring a control quantity to be determined from a set of state quantities on the basis of rules of the rule storage device. The picture image forming apparatus determines the operation quantity for the image bearing member of the process device on the basis of the calculated results of the inference device and forms an image.

Abstract: Highly pure benzyl esters of aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acids are produced in high yields by reacting an aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid or its lower alkyl ester with a benzyl alcohol in the presence of an organotin compound of the general formula ##STR1## wherein R's are identical or different and each represents an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an aryl group, and Z represents an oxygen or sulfur atom,an organotin compound of the general formulaR.sub.p SnX.sub.q (II)wherein R is as defined, X represents a halogen atom or the group --OCOR.sup.1 in which R.sup.1 represents a saturated or unsaturated alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms or an aryl group, p is 2, 3 or 4, q is 0, 1 or 2, the sum of p and q is 4, and when q is 2, the two X's may be linked to each other to form the group --OCO--R.sup.2 --COO-- in which R.sup.2 represents a saturated or unsaturated alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an arylene group,or an organotitanium compound of the general formulaTi(OR).sub.

Abstract: In a duplex image forming apparatus, first and second image forming devices are arranged respectively in upstream and downstream sides of a moving direction of a transfer member. Each image forming device includes an image bearing member, a developer for forming on the image bearing member a toner image corresponding to first and second information signals, respectively, and a transfer device for transferring the respective toner images to respective sides of the transfer member. A reader is provided for reading a first side of an original and, at a point of time after reading of the first side begins, a second side of the original. The length of time required to move the transfer member from the first transfer station to the second transfer station is equal to the length of time between beginning to read the first side of the original and beginning to read the second side of the original.

Abstract: After a first image is formed on an image bearing member, the potential of the image bearing member is attenuated, and then, the image bearing member is re-charged. Thereafter, a second image is formed. The image forming apparatus includes a potential sensor for detecting the surface potential of the image bearing member, and in accordance with the output of the potential sensor, amount of potential attenuation and/or amount of re-charging is controlled so that the potential difference between the potential of the first developed portion after the re-charging and the background potential is converged into a predetermined target range.

Abstract: An image-forming machine includes a supporting structure having a lower supporting frame and an upper supporting frame mounted on the lower supporting frame so as to be free to pivot between an open position and a closed position, a locking device for releasably locking the upper supporting frame at the closed position, and a cover member mounted on the supporting structure so as to be opened and closed. The locking device has an engaging member mounted movably between a locking position and a releasing position. The cover member can be maintained in the closed state only when the upper supporting frame is at the closed position and the engaging member is at the locking position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes movable image bearing member, a first charger means for charging the image bearing member, first electrostatic latent image forming device for forming a first electrostatic latent image in accordance with image information on the image bearing means charged by the first charger, first developing device for developing the first electrostatic latent image, a second charger for re-charging the image bearing member, second electrostatic latent image forming device for forming a second electrostatic latent image in accordance with image information on the image bearing member recharged by the second charger, second developing device for developing the second electrostatic latent image, a dector for detecting a surface potential of the image bearing member, the detector detecting at least the surface potential at that portion of the latent image formed on the image bearing member by the first latent image forming device which is developed, after the portion is charged by the seco

Abstract: In an imaging optical system, the angular aperture of distributed index optical elements which are optical elements forming the imaging optical system is 9.degree. or greater and the degree of superposition M of images on a light-receiving surface is M=2.75+0.5x. The degree of superposition M of images is represented by M=X.sub.0 /D, where D is the effective diameter of the optical elements and X.sub.0 is the field radius thereof. Also, x is 0 or a greater integer.