Abstract: Disclosed is a cleaning apparatus including: a blade and a roller to remove the residual toner on the image carrier, the blade and the roller provided on a downstream side of a rotating direction of the image carrier than a transfer position of the toner image; a scraper to remove toner attached to the roller; and a first controlling section to control movement of the residual toner removed by the blade and the roller, the first controlling section is provided on an upstream side of the rotating direction of the image carrier than the blade and on a downstream side of the rotating direction of the image carrier than the roller and the scraper, and the first controlling section is provided facing the image carrier with a certain area provided in between to form an accumulating section to accumulate residual toner in the certain area.

Abstract: Provided are a memory array excellent in noise characteristics and small in size and a semiconductor integrated circuit device having such a memory array. Memory cells each have two transistors and one storage element connected in series in this order between a corresponding one of bit lines and a constant voltage. The two transistors respectively have gate electrodes respectively connected to a corresponding one of first word lines and a corresponding one of second word lines. A memory array includes mats each having the memory cells disposed at all intersections between the bit lines and the first word lines, sense amplifiers each input with a corresponding pair of the bit lines in the same mat as a bit line pair, and first and second word drivers adapted to activate the first and second word lines, respectively.

Abstract: A transfer device comprising: a transfer section which forms a nip portion between the transfer section and an image carrier and transfers a toner image on an image carrier onto a sheet passing through the nip portion; an application section which applies a voltage to the transfer section; a determining section which determines a timing of applying voltage from the application section to the transfer section, wherein the control section controls the application section to apply a voltage having an opposite polarity to a transfer polarity to the transfer section until the timing determined by the determination section in a period since a leading edge of the sheet in a conveyance direction advances into the nip portion until a predetermined non image area of the sheet has passed through the nip portion, and then, at a timing determined, switch to apply a voltage having the transfer polarity.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, comprising: an image carrier; a brush to remove toner remaining on the image carrier by scrubbing a surface of the image carrier; a flicker to remove the toner adhering to the brush by contacting to the brush; a brush driving section to rotate the brush; and a control section to obtain a quantity of the toner adhering to the brush and to control the brush driving section so as to change a rotation speed of the brush based on the obtained quantity of the toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms a toner image on a transfer material, including: an image carrier which carries a toner image; a transfer section which transfers the toner images carried on the image carrier onto a transfer material; and a guide section having paired guide surfaces whose guide surfaces guide the transfer material to a transfer position of the transfer section while supporting the transfer material in between; wherein an end of one of the paired guide surfaces, which is closer to the image carrier than another one of the paired guide surfaces, has an elastic extension guide member, and a tear resistance of an leading portion of the elastic extension guide member is greater than the tear resistance of other portions of the elastic extension guide member.

Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus, which prevent toner from contaminating inside of the apparatus and the recording medium. The apparatus includes: an image bearing member; and a transferring member that press-contacts the image bearing member for transferring the toner image onto the recording medium. When the transferring member transfers the toner image onto the recording medium in such a state that the toner image is extended from an edge of the recording medium, the following relationship is fulfilled, 0<A<B where A: a length of an extended portion that the toner image residing on the image bearing member is extended from the edge of the recording medium; and B: a length of a distance from the edge of the recording medium to a position at which the transferring member and the image bearing member start to contact each other.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array that is arrayed on a plurality of mats; an even number of redundancy Y-switch (YS) signal lines that are provided in three mat units and arranged in the bit line direction on the mat that is positioned in the middle among the three mats disposed continuously in the word line direction; a local input/output (LIO) line that is connected to a sense amplifier portion of the three mats, extends in the word line direction, and is divided in two in a redundancy area that is a part of the even number of redundancy Y switch signal lines; and a plurality of bit line selecting Y switch signal lines that connect bit line output of the memory cell array on the three mats to the local input/output line; wherein 8-bit data prefetch is performed from the three mats by selecting the plurality of bit line selecting Y switch signal lines and turning them ON simultaneously so as to connect the selected bit line output to each local input/output line divided in two.

Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device comprising a first layer that is provided on a semiconductor substrate and includes a first wiring pattern planarized by CMP and a plurality of first dummy patterns made of a same material as the first wiring pattern and a second layer that is provided above the semiconductor substrate and includes a second wiring pattern planarized by CMP and a plurality of second dummy patterns made of a same material as the second wiring pattern. A central axis of each of the second dummy patterns coincides with that of a corresponding one of the first dummy patterns in a direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a first transfer section for transferring a toner image, formed on an image carrier by utilizing a charging section, an exposing section and a developing section, onto a belt shaped intermediate transfer member; and a second transfer section for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer member onto a recording material by applying an electric field between a second transfer roller being provided outside the intermediate transfer member and a backup roller being provided inside the intermediate transfer member, the second transfer roller and the backup roller sandwiching the intermediate recording member and the recording material. The second transfer roller may be grounded and a bias voltage may be applied to the backup roller, and a second charging section for charging a surface of the second transfer roller with a predetermined polarity may be included.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an image forming section to form a toner image on an image carrier; a transfer section to transfer onto a transfer medium the toner image formed on the image carrier; and a pair of opposing transfer guide members to guide the transfer medium into the transfer section, wherein a front edge of one transfer guide member, arranged on a side of the image carrier out of the pair of the transfer guide members, is disposed separately from the other transfer guide member, and one side portion of the front edge of the transfer guide member is more protruded than the other side portion into a conveying direction of the transfer medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: a photoreceptor on which a toner image is formed by a charging device, an image exposure device and a developing device; and a transfer section for transferring the toner image on the photoreceptor. DC bias and AC bias voltage is applied to a development roller of the developing device, and the DC bias and AC bias voltage is set to regular value for an image area on the photoreceptor, and only the AC bias voltage is changed for a non-image area on the photoreceptor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a transfer section for transferring a toner image on an image bearing member onto a transfer material; a conveyor for conveying the transfer material to a transfer position; a first guide for forming a guiding surface in the image bearing member side on a conveyance path between the transfer position and the conveyor; and a second guide for forming a guiding surface opposed to the first guide, wherein the first guide includes a support member and a guiding member, which is supported by the support member and projected from the support member in a down stream side of a conveyance direction, the guiding member having a moving portion capable of elastically being deformed, and wherein the guiding member is formed so that a thickness of the guiding member becomes thin from an upper stream of the conveyance direction to a downstream of the conveyance direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus sets the optimum transfer bias based on density of some sets of toner patches formed on an image bearing member or an intermediate transfer member. The toner patches are categorized into at least two groups according to their length in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a charging unit which charges a surface of the image carrier; a brush which removes toner remaining on the image carrier by rubbing the surface of the image carrier; a cleaning blade provided downstream of the brush in a rotational direction of the image carrier, which removes the toner remaining on the image carrier; a surface potential measuring sensor which measures a surface potential of the image carrier between the brush and the cleaning blade; and a controller which causes the surface potential measuring sensor to conduct a measuring operation and adjusts the surface potential of the image carrier between the brush and the cleaning blade on the basis of a measurement result.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, comprising: an image carrier; a brush to remove toner remaining on the image carrier by scrubbing a surface of the image carrier; a flicker to remove the toner adhering to the brush by contacting to the brush; a brush driving section to rotate the brush; and a control section to obtain a quantity of the toner adhering to the brush and to control the brush driving section so as to change a rotation speed of the brush based on the obtained quantity of the toner.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array that is arrayed on a plurality of mats; an even number of redundancy Y-switch (YS) signal lines that are provided in three mat units and arranged in the bit line direction on the mat that is positioned in the middle among the three mats disposed continuously in the word line direction; a local input/output (LIO) line that is connected to a sense amplifier portion of the three mats, extends in the word line direction, and is divided in two in a redundancy area that is a part of the even number of redundancy Y switch signal lines; and a plurality of bit line selecting Y switch signal lines that connect bit line output of the memory cell array on the three mats to the local input/output line; wherein 8-bit data prefetch is performed from the three mats by selecting the plurality of bit line selecting Y switch signal lines and turning them ON simultaneously so as to connect the selected bit line output to each local input/output line divided in two.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having plural image carriers, respective chargers, exposure units, color toner developing units, a black toner developing unit, a transfer unit that transfers in the transfer section the color toner images and black toner image onto an intermediate transfer member by the application of a transfer bias from the power supply unit, and a controller that controls the transfer output, an an optical density sensor that detects the optical density of color toner patch images formed on the intermediate transfer member, and a controller transfers the color toner patch images onto the intermediate transfer member while changing the transfer output, detects the optical densities of color toner patch images transferred onto the intermediate transfer member using the optical density sensor, and controls the transfer output to transfer the black toner image based on the detected optical densities of the color toner patch images.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging device to charge the image bearing member; an exposing device to form a latent image on the image bearing member; a developing device to form a toner image on the image bearing member; a transferring device to transfer the toner image onto an intermediate transfer member by applying a transfer bias voltage; an image stabilization controlling section for keeping a density of the toner image transferred onto the intermediate transfer member within a predetermined range; a transfer output controlling section for controlling a transfer output based on a density of a toner patch image; and an overall controlling section to control both the image stabilization controlling section and the transfer output controlling section, in such a manner that the image stabilization controlling operation is conducted preceding to the transfer output controlling operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, comprising an image carrier to carry toner image formed based on image data, a cleaning blade to remove residual toner on the image carrier by being in contact with the image carrier and a toner storage portion structured to store the residual toner removed by the cleaning blade and so that the image carrier can rub on the residual toner, wherein the toner storage portion is located on an upstream side of a contacting point between the cleaning blade and the image carrier in a moving direction of the image carrier and in a position where the toner storage portion is not in contact with the cleaning blade.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an image forming section to form a toner image on an image carrier; a transfer section to transfer onto a transfer medium the tone image formed on the image carrier; and a pair of opposing transfer guide members to guide the transfer medium into the transfer section, wherein a front edge of one transfer guide member, arranged on a side of the image carrier out of the pair of the transfer guide members, is disposed separately from the other transfer guide member, and one side portion of the front edge of the transfer guide member is more protruded than the other side portion into a conveying direction of the transfer medium.