Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus which simultaneously performs image exposure and development, including an electrophotographic photosensitive body having a conductive layer, an electrophotoconductive layer, and an electric charge supply layer for contacting a developer sequentially formed on a translucent substrate, wherein a value of the surface energy of the outer layer of the photosensitive body is 30 dyne/cm or less in order to present fogging generated during development.

Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus includes a movable photosensitive member having a photoconductive layer, and a charging member for charging the photosensitive member. A latent image forming device forms an image on the photosensitive member, and an electric charge applying device applies an electric charge of a polarity opposite from a charging property of the charging member to the photosensitive member. The photosensitive member includes a rectifying layer on the photoconductive layer to provide, at an interface between the photoconductive layer and the rectifying layer, a p-n junction preventing electric charge of the opposite polarity from entering the photoconductive layer.

Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus for simultaneously performing image exposure and development including an electrophotographic photosensitive body comprising a conductive layer and an electrophotographic photosensitive layer formed on the translucent substrate. An optical system is provided for exposing the image from the side of the translucent substrate of the photosensitive body, and a developer apparatus is arranged opposing to the side of photosensitive layer of the exposure position of the photosensitive body for supplying developer charged with the developing bias.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charger for charging an image bearing member. The charger includes a charging member contacted to the image bearing member and supplied with a voltage. The charger functions both as discharging device and charging device by switching a voltage applied thereto. The apparatus is made smaller, simpler and less expensive in cost.

Abstract: An electrophotographic process in which image information exposure step and a developing step are substantially simultaneously carried out to opposite sides of a photosensitive member includes preparing an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a conductive base layer transmitting light and a photosensitive layer thereon; exposing the conductive base side of the photosensitive member to light information; rubbing an opposite side of the photosensitive member with a developer supplied with a developing bias voltage of the same polarity as the polarity of the developer in a region including an upstream side end a downstream side of an image exposure region of the photosensitive member; wherein an absolute value of a sum of a triboelectric charge potential provided on a surface of the photosensitive member by rubbing between the developer and the photosensitive member, and a surface potential of the photosensitive member provided by application of the developing bias upstream of the image exposure regi

Abstract: A charging apparatus includes a charging member for charging the member to be charged; a power source for supplying electric power to the charging member; a power source for supplying a constant small DC current to the charging member; and a device for determining a voltage to be applied to the charging member; wherein while the constant small DC current is supplied to the charging member, a voltage supplied to the charging member is detected and in response to the detected voltage, the voltage determining device determines the voltage to be applied to the charging member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an image, a contact charger for charging the image bearing member, and a detector for detecting an electric current flowing through the charger when the charger changes a potential of a predetermined area of the image bearing member from a first potential to a second potential which is different from the first potential. In another aspect of the invention, the detector detects a flow of current through a second contact charger when a first oscillating voltage is applied by a first contact charger and a second oscillating voltage applied by the second contact charger which is different from the first oscillating voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member; an image forming device for forming an image on the image bearing member; a charging member disposed opposed to the image bearing member; and bias application device for applying a bias voltage to the charging member, wherein the bias applying device effects a constant voltage control to the charging member when an image area of the image bearing member is in a charging region of the charging member, and effects a constant current control during at least a part of a period in which an area of the image bearing member other than the image area is in the charging region, and wherein a level of a constant voltage of the constant voltage control is determined during the constant current control.

Abstract: A charging device contactable to a member in order to charge it electrically. The voltage of the charging member includes an AC component. A controller controls the AC component so as to be a constant current, by which the member to be charged can be stably and uniformly charged even if ambient conditions change.

Abstract: An elastic roller includes a conductive base; an elastic layer on the conductive base; a surface parting layer on the elastic layer, the surface parting layer having a surface resistance of not less than 10.sup.10 ohm; wherein the elastic layer has a volume resistivity of not more than 10.sup.7 ohm.cm.

Abstract: A charging member contactable to a member to be charged to electrically charge it includes a sponge layer; a coating layer disposed between the sponge layer and the member to be charged; wherein a cell diameter in a surface of the sponge layer coated with the coating layer is not more than 200 microns.

Abstract: A charging member for charging a member to be charged while being in contact therewith includes conductive base for being supplied with a voltage; a surface layer contactable to the member to be charged; a sponge layer between the conductive base and the surface layer; a 100% modulus M.sub.100 (kg/cm.sup.2) of the surface layer and a thickness d (cm) of the surface layer satisfied:M.sub.100 .times.d.ltoreq.1.5 (kg/cm).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fixing apparatus having a pair of rotary members for pinching and conveying a supporting material bearing a non-fixed toner image thereon, thereby fixing the non-fixed toner image on the supporting material and wherein a rectifier element is connected to at least one of the rotary members in a predetermined orientation, whereby the present invention prevent a toner offset that the toner on the supporting material is adhered to the rotary members.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member; an image forming device for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; image transfer device for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member to a transfer material at an image transfer station, wherein the transfer device includes a charging member press-contacted or faced to the image bearing member and a device for applying a voltage to the charging member, wherein the voltage applying device applies a voltage to the charging member so that the charging member is constant-voltage-controlled when an image region of the image bearing member is in the transfer station, and the charging member is constant-current-controlled during at least a part of a period when it is not in the transfer station, wherein a voltage V2 applied during the constant voltage control is a voltage V1 appearing in the transfer device during the constant current control multiplied by a coefficient R, in which R is larger than 1.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charger for charging an image bearing member. The charger includes a charging member contacted to the image bearing member and supplied with a voltage. The charger functions both as discharging device and charging device by switching a voltage applied thereto. The apparatus is made smaller, simpler and less expensive in cost.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member, an image forming device for forming the image bearing member, and an image transfer device contactable to the image bearing member at an image transfer position. The transfer device transfers the image formed by the image forming device onto a transfer material while the transfer material is conveyed through the transfer position together with the image bearing member, wherein the transfer device has a hardness of 20-40 degrees (Asker-C), and it is pressed to the image bearing member at a pressure of 50-200 g/cm.sup.2, and wherein a peripheral speed of the transfer device at the transfer position during a transfer operation is higher than a peripheral speed of the image bearing member at the transfer position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member carrying an image corresponding to image information; an image transfer device for transferring the image on the image bearing member onto a transfer material at a transfer position, wherein the transfer device includes a charging member contactable to a back side of the transfer material and voltage application means for applying a voltage to the charging member, wherein the voltage applying device effects a constant voltage control to the charging member when an image region of the image bearing member is at the transfer position, and effects a constant current control to the charging member at least a part of the other duration, and wherein a voltage level of the constant voltage control is determined on the basis of a voltage across the transfer device during the constant current control; wherein voltage applied to the charging member by the voltage applying device or a current through the charging member by the voltage applying device is limited

Abstract: A charging device includes a contact member contactable to a member to be charged; and a voltage applying device for applying to the contact member a voltage having a level which periodically changes, to charge the member to be charged; wherein the voltage applying device constant-voltage-controls the contact member in a first period and constant-current-controls the contact member in a second period, wherein a voltage level in the first period is determined in the second period.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member, a charger for electrically charging the image bearing member, latent image forming device for forming a latent image with use of the charger, a developing device for developing the latent image formed by the latent image forming device with toner electrically charged to a polarity the same as a polarity to which the image bearing member is charged by the charger, image transfer member contactable to a back side of a transfer material to transfer a toner image provided by the developing device from the image bearing member to the transfer material, a voltage application device for applying a voltage to the transfer member, the voltage application device applying a voltage having a polarity the same as that of the toner to the transfer member during non-transferring operation, and a device for providing different potentials for a portion of the image bearing member to be opposed to the image transfer device during the non-transfer action by sai

Abstract: A charging device for contact-charging a member to be charged. A charging device for charging a movable member to be charged includes a contacting member adapted to contacting the member to be charged, and means for forming a vibratory electric field between the member to be charged and the contacting member, the vibratory electric field forming means applying between the members a vibratory voltage having a peak-to-peak value not less than twice an absolute value of a charge starting voltage to the member to be charged. The member to be charged can be uniformly charged.