Abstract: An electrophotographic image developing device includes a fixed rotatable member and a suspended rotatable member reciprocally movable toward and away from the fixed rotatable member. Rotative power from a drive source is transmitted to the suspended rotatable member through a power transmitting unit which includes a coupling capable of absorbing axial misalignment between driver and driven shafts.

Abstract: A device for driving a rotary body which is required to make contact with another rotary body with an even pressure distribution along its length, e.g. a register roller installed in an electrophotographic machine for feeding a paper sheet, a developing roller applicable to a contact type developing system, or a doctor roller of a developing apparatus. A developing roller, or one of the rotary bodies, is movable in a single limited direction toward and away from a photoconductive element, or the other rotary body, which is fixed in place. A drive gear is meshed with a driven gear which is mounted on one end of a shaft of the developing roller, thereby transmitting torque to the developing roller.

Abstract: A blade cleaning device for removing toner particles remaining on the surface of a photosensitive member after image transfer and which includes a blade which is pressed against the surface and a link supporting mechanism for supporting the blade. In one aspect of the present invention, a spring is provided as connected to the link supporting mechanism mainly to keep the blade in pressure contact with the surface and a coil spring is provided in a node of the link mainly to cancel out any fluctuations imparted to the blade, thereby allowing the blade to be kept in pressure contact with the surface at a desired pressure level at all times. In another aspect, the device is so structured that the blade may be located at an operative position where it is in pressure contact with the surface or at an inoperative position where the blade is separated away from the surface.

Abstract: The cleaning apparatus includes a pair of parallel elastic plates, corresponding end portions of the elastic plates are integrally connected to each other, and the other end portions of the elastic plates are fixed to an arm member which is urged towards the photoconductor drum, and a cleaning blade member is fixed to one of the elastic plates, with a top portion of the cleaning blade member projecting from the elastic plate and being in pressure contact with the surface of the photoconductor drum with a predetermined pressure, and with the angle .theta. between the upstream side of the cleaning blade in terms of the rotation of the photoconductor drum and the tangent at the contact point of the blade with the surface of the photoconductor drum is less than .pi./2.

Abstract: A cleaning blade unit for removing residual toner from a photosensitive member includes a first arm which carries a blade, and a second arm which carries the first arm in an angularly movable manner and is pivotally mounted on a stationary member. Both of the arms are urged to move angularly in a direction to bring the forward edge of the blade into abutment against the photosensitive member. When the forward edge of the blade is resisted by residual toner, the forward edge is urged against the photosensitive member with an increased force, thus effectively achieving a removal of residual toner.

Abstract: An apparatus for fixing toner images in which a radiating member is interposed between a near infrared red ray source and a path of movement of a support sheet bearing a toner image for producing far infrared rays. The radiating member is constructed with metal foils such that the foils form a large number of complicated paths for the near infrared rays from said source so that the rays are converted into heat after infinite repeated reflection. Air is sprayed through the complicated paths toward the sheet path to improve the fixing efficiency by an atmospheric heating in addition to the far infrared heating and further to prevent a combustion of the sheet in the event it is jammed.