Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body of the apparatus, a plurality of cartridges each including a photosensitive member, and a transfer unit detachably mounted on the main body of the apparatus. The transfer unit includes an endless belt opposing the photosensitive member, a plurality of stretching members configured to stretch the belt, and a frame configured to axially support a plurality of rollers. The frame is provided with a plurality of positioning portions configured to allow abutment of the plurality of cartridges and determine the positions of the plurality of cartridges in the main body of the apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, an image bearing member capable of bearing a toner image, a current supply member, and an intermediate transfer unit which is removably mounted to the apparatus main body. When the intermediate transfer unit is attached to the apparatus main body, the intermediate transfer unit includes an endless belt whose outer peripheral surface is configured to contact the current supply member, onto which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member by current supplied from the current supply member, a contact member configured to contact an inner peripheral surface of the endless belt at a position opposed to the image bearing member through the endless belt, an opposing member configured to contact the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt at a position opposed to the current supply member through the endless belt, and a voltage maintaining element which is connected to the opposing member and the contact member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer rotary member for forming a primary transfer portion between a photosensitive drum and an intermediate transfer belt. The transfer rotary member includes multiple rotary members whose diameters are different, into which the transfer rotary member is divided in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt. The transfer rotary member is arranged so as to contact a surface of the intermediate transfer belt on a side opposite to a surface with which multiple photosensitive drums come into contact at the primary transfer portions, on a downstream side in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt with respect to a contact portion between the intermediate transfer belt and each photosensitive drum, the intermediate transfer belt being arranged so as to protrude on the photosensitive drum side.

Abstract: A fixing device configured to fix a toner image on a recording material by heating while conveying the recording material that bears the toner image by a nip portion, the fixing device includes a fixing roller having a rubber layer, a rotating member configured to form a contact portion between the rotating member and the fixing roller, and a pressure member configured to form the nip portion cooperatively with the fixing roller. In the fixing device, heat of the rotating member transfers to the fixing roller from the rotating member via the contact portion, and the contact portion includes a region where the pressure is increased after being decreased on a downstream side further than a center of the contact portion in the rotational direction of the rotating member.

Abstract: The fixing apparatus includes a first unit configured to be brought into contact with a surface of a fixing roller so as to heat the fixing roller, a second unit configured to form a fixing nip portion together with the fixing roller, a first regulation part configured to regulate decrease in distance between a shaft of the fixing roller and the first unit, and a second regulation part configured to regulate decrease in distance between the shaft of the fixing roller and the second unit. Thus, a heating nip width and a fixing nip width are maintained stably for a long period of time.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a toner image formed on a sheet includes a cylindrical film; a heater having a first surface contacting an inner surface of the film; an opposed member forming a press-contact portion with the film therebetween; a supporting member for supporting a second surface of the heater opposite the first surface; and a heat conduction member contacting the second surface, wherein in a generatrix direction of the film, an end portion of a contact region between the heat conduction member and the second surface is at or inside an end portion of the press-contact portion. In a region from an end portion of the contact region to an outside of an end portion of the press-contact portion with respect to the direction, the supporting member includes a first region not contacting the second surface and a second region contacting the second surface outside the first region.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus to which a plurality of cartridges are detachably mounted, including: main body side positioning portions provided on an apparatus main body; a cartridge supporting member detachably supporting the cartridges having cartridge side electric contacts and cartridge side positioned portions, and movable among a first position for forming images, a second position retracted from the first position, and a third position where the cartridges are pulled out of the main body; a pressing member pressing the positioned portions on the positioning portions; and main body side electric contacts provided on the main body, wherein the electric contacts are directly and electrically connected to the electric contacts when the positioned portions are pressed on the positioning portions by the pressing member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical film, a planar heater, a heat conduction member, a supporting member, a limiting member for limiting heater end portions with respect to a generatrix direction of the film so as to prevent the end portions from moving in a heater thickness direction relative to the supporting member, and a pressing member. A fixing device state is switchable between a first state in which a press-contact force in the nip is enough to fix the toner image and a second state in which the press-contact force in the nip is smaller than the press-contact force in the first state. A surface where the supporting member opposes the heat conduction member has a shape such that with respect to the generatrix direction, a central portion of the film is projected toward the pressing member than an end portion of the film.

Abstract: The heating apparatus comprises a substrate extending in one direction and a plurality of heat generating members provided on one surface of the substrate along a longitudinal direction thereof and wherein at least one of the plural heat generating members has heat generating regions having different heat generation amount per unit length in the longitudinal direction, substrate reinforcing members are provided on the other surface of the substrate in correspondence to the high heat generating regions provided on one surface of the substrate. By the virtue of the invention, cost can be reduced, emergency safety upon occurrence of overrun of a CPU can be achieved, and increase in temperature of a sheet non-passing portion can be suppressed.

Abstract: A fixing device configured to fix a toner image on a recording material by heating while conveying the recording material that bears the toner image by a nip portion, the fixing device includes a fixing roller having a rubber layer, a rotating member configured to form a contact portion between the rotating member and the fixing roller, and a pressure member configured to form the nip portion cooperatively with the fixing roller. In the fixing device, heat of the rotating member transfers to the fixing roller from the rotating member via the contact portion, and the contact portion includes a region where the pressure is increased after being decreased on a downstream side further than a center of the contact portion in the rotational direction of the rotating member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for coating an aluminum wheel using a coating composition capable of forming a coating film having a superior cosmetic property as well as an anticorrosive property much enough for preventing corrosion even in the use in an area where the coating film is susceptible to salt damage, and an aluminum wheel obtained by the method. A method for coating an aluminum wheel including applying an anticorrosive coating composition onto the aluminum wheel, and thereafter applying a clear coating composition to form a transparent multilayer coating film, wherein the anticorrosive coating composition contains an acrylic resin (1) having a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 to 140,000, a glass transition point of 20 to 50° C.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a transfer rotary member for forming a primary transfer portion (N) between a photosensitive drum and an intermediate transfer belt. The transfer rotary member includes multiple rotary members whose diameters are different, into which the transfer rotary member is divided in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt. The transfer rotary member is arranged so as to contact a surface of the intermediate transfer belt on a side opposite to a surface with which multiple photosensitive drums come into contact at the primary transfer portions (N), on a downstream side in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt with respect to a contact portion between the intermediate transfer belt and each photosensitive drum, the intermediate transfer belt being arranged so as to protrude on the photosensitive drum side.

Abstract: The intermediate transfer unit removably mounted to an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus, includes a contact roller is disposed so as to come into contact with an intermediate transfer belt correspondingly to a photosensitive drum, an opposing member, and a voltage maintaining element which is connected to the opposing member and the contact roller. The number of electric contacts between the intermediate transfer unit and the apparatus main body is decreased so that the apparatus can be downsized, and its cost can be lowered.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus to which a plurality of cartridges are detachably mounted, including: main body side positioning portions provided on an apparatus main body; a cartridge supporting member detachably supporting the cartridges having cartridge side electric contacts and cartridge side positioned portions, and movable among a first position for forming images, a second position retracted from the first position, and a third position where the cartridges are pulled out of the main body; a pressing member pressing the positioned portions on the positioning portions; and main body side electric contacts provided on the main body, wherein the electric contacts are directly and electrically connected to the electric contacts when the positioned portions are pressed on the positioning portions by the pressing member.

Abstract: A belt unit having a belt stretched by a plurality of rollers is removably mounted in an image forming apparatus. A pressure removing member moves a tension roller for applying tension to the belt from a first position to apply the tension to the belt to a second position to remove the tension from the belt. After the belt unit is positioned and mounted in the apparatus body by engaging the rollers with positioning portions in an apparatus body frame in a state in which the tension roller is moved to the second position by the pressure removing member, the tension is applied to the belt by moving the tension roller to the first position by the pressure removing member.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus to which a plurality of cartridges are detachably mounted, including: main body side positioning portions provided on an apparatus main body; a cartridge supporting member detachably supporting the cartridges having cartridge side electric contacts and cartridge side positioned portions, and movable among a first position for forming images, a second position retracted from the first position, and a third position where the cartridges are pulled out of the main body; a pressing member pressing the positioned portions on the positioning portions; and main body side electric contacts provided on the main body, wherein the electric contacts are directly and electrically connected to the electric contacts when the positioned portions are pressed on the positioning portions by the pressing member.

Abstract: In a refining method for boron-containing silicon, boron-containing silicon is irradiated with an electron beam in a vacuum vessel to melt the boron-containing silicon. A boron compound-forming substance is introduced into the vacuum vessel, and boron contained in the molten silicon is formed into a boron compound. After at least a portion of the boron compound has vaporized, irradiation with the electron beam is stopped. The high-purity molten silicon can then be solidified.

Abstract: A belt unit having a belt stretched by a plurality of rollers is removably mounted in an image forming apparatus. A pressure removing member moves a tension roller for applying tension to the belt from a first position to apply the tension to the belt to a second position to remove the tension from the belt. After the belt unit is positioned and mounted in the apparatus body by engaging the rollers with positioning portions in an apparatus body frame in a state in which the tension roller is moved to the second position by the pressure removing member, the tension is applied to the belt by moving the tension roller to the first position by the pressure removing member.

Abstract: A forward direction-only path (first substrate transport path) is formed for transporting substrates in a forward direction to pass the substrates on to an exposing apparatus. A separate, substrate transport path (second substrate transport path) is formed exclusively for post-exposure bake (PEB). Substrate transport along each path is carried out independently of substrate transport along the other. A fourth main transport mechanism is interposed as a predetermined substrate transport mechanism between transfer points consisting of a buffer acting as a temporary storage module for temporarily storing the substrates and a post-exposure bake (PEB) unit corresponding to a predetermined treating unit. This arrangement forms the path for transporting the substrates between the buffer and the PEB unit, to allow PEB treatment of the substrates to be performed smoothly. Similarly, the substrates are transported smoothly to the buffer.

Abstract: The image heating apparatus includes a cylindrical film, a heating member, and a drive roller, wherein a recording material bearing an image is heated while the recording material is bound and conveyed by the nip portion, and a distance between a contact position between the film and the recording material and a contact position which the film and the drive roller is equal to or less than 3.5 mm over a longitudinal direction of the nip portion, and a line formed by connecting positions at which said film is separated in the longitudinal direction of the nip portion from the recording material in the conveyance direction has an arc shape. Thus a heating process can be executed while suppressing creases in the recording material and a density loss in the image formed on the recording material.