Abstract: There is provided a fixing member to be used in a pressured state, the fixing member including: a base member that is rotated; a resilient layer that is formed on an outer periphery of the base member; and a surface layer that is formed on an outer periphery of the resilient layer, wherein an axial direction end face of the resilient layer includes an inclined portion that is inclined such that an axial direction length thereof is longer at the base member side than at the surface layer side, and that is exposed in the axial direction.

Abstract: There is provided a fixing member to be used in a pressured state, the fixing member including: a base member that is rotated; a resilient layer that is formed on an outer periphery of the base member; and a surface layer that is formed on an outer periphery of the resilient layer, wherein an axial direction end face of the resilient layer includes an inclined portion that is inclined such that an axial direction length thereof is longer at the base member side than at the surface layer side, and that is exposed in the axial direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording media identifier for identifying types of recording media, and a recording device, provided with a recording media identifier, which records images by printing on recording media. A speckle measuring section of the recording device measures a speckle on a recording medium conveyed on a conveyance path. Types of recording media are detected through correlation of the speckle measured with speckles stored in a storage section, in a manner in which the speckles correspond to types of recording media. Recording and fixing conditions of the recording device are adjusted according to the types of the recording media detected.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording media identifier for identifying types of recording media, and a recording device, provided with a recording media identifier, which records images by printing on recording media. A speckle measuring section of the recording device measures a speckle on a recording medium conveyed on a conveyance path. Types of recording media are detected through correlation of the speckle measured with speckles stored in a storage section, in a manner in which the speckles correspond to types of recording media. Recording and fixing conditions of the recording device are adjusted according to the types of the recording media detected.

Abstract: A heat generating medium for image fixing includes a conductive support layer of good electrical and thermal conductivity, a low surface energy layer formed on one of the surfaces of the conductive support layer, and a heat generating layer formed on the other surface of the conductive support layer. A fixing apparatus is also disclosed, which includes the heat generating medium as described above, and a power supplying device for feeding current to the heat generating layer, wherein a recording sheet bearing a non-fixed toner image thereon is brought into press contact with the heat generating layer which generates heat when it receives current from the power supply device.

Abstract: A localized heating device includes a laminate structure of a heat insulating substrate, a heating region made by sandwiching a heating layer between a pattern electrode layer and a conductive layer and a low surface energy layer. In another aspect of the invention, a localized heating apparatus includes a localized heating device and a power supply system that supplies a current selectively and stably to the heating layer between the pattern electrode layer and the conductive layer from the current supply portion formed at one or both end portions of the heating region.

Abstract: A developing apparatus comprises: a developer support being disposed in the proximity of or in contact with an image support having a surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, the developer support having a peripheral surface supported turnably; and a developing bias power supply for supplying a developing bias voltage between the developer support and the image support, wherein a dual component developer including toner and magnetic carriers is supported on the peripheral surface of the developer support to be transported, and the toner is transferred to the image support in an electric field formed at a position where the image support faces the developer support for forming a toner image, and the developer support has a plurality of magnetic poles for attracting almost one layer of the carriers on the peripheral surface of the developer support almost uniformly.

Abstract: A developing apparatus uses a dual-component developer containing a magnetic carrier and toner electrically attracted to the magnetic carrier for selectively transferring the toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image support for visualizing the latent image. The developing apparatus includes a developer transport member facing the image support and having a peripheral surface for supporting and transporting the developer. A toner excess supplying member supplies excess toner to the developer supported on the developer transport member. An excess toner separator separates toner having a small adhesion force to the carrier from the developer to which excessive toner is applied.

Abstract: A conduction recording head forms an image on a recording sheet by connecting return path electrodes and recording electrodes conductively through a printing and recording medium. Recording electrodes, a drive circuit and connector electrodes are all disposed integrally on a flexible insulating film as a main head part which is disposed on a rigid support member through an elastic member.

Abstract: In a color image forming apparatus, as the second and subsequent development processes of the simultaneously transfer type, a non-contact type AC field double-element development is employed, and an absolute value of the difference between the maximum bias which provides the maximum toner developing electric field in the direction to the side of the latent image carrier and the average value of the developing bias is set larger than an absolute value of the difference between the minimum bias voltage which provides the minimum toner developing electric field in the direction to the side of the latent image carrier and the average value of the developing bias, while the bias voltage region located between the maximum bias voltage and the average bias voltage is set to a ratio of from 0.25 to 0.45 for one period of the AC voltage, and the frequency of the bias voltage is set from 4 kHz to 10 kHz.

Abstract: An optical conductive thermal transfer ink medium is disclosed, comprising at least the following layers laminated on a light-transmitting substrate in this order: a light-transmitting conductive layer, a photothermal layer exhibiting photo-conductivity, a conductive layer and a thermal transfer ink layer and which is used, when printing, by applying a voltage between the light-transmitting conductive layer and the conductive layer. It may also comprise a low surface energy protection layer between the conductive layer and the thermal transfer ink layer or a conductive heating layer between the photothermal layer and the conductive layer, in the above described structure.

Abstract: A display medium is disclosed, comprising at least the following layers, in this order: a heating resistive layer, a conductive layer, a background layer and an erasable thermochromic layer, and comprising a heating resistive layer which may comprise at least two layers. The display medium may also comprise a contact resistance reducing layer on the heating resistive layer and a protective layer on the erasable thermochromic layer.

Abstract: A thermal printing ink medium which electrically generates heat to transfer an ink thereof to a transfer material to form an image thereon is disclosed, which comprises a first heating element layer, a second heating element layer in contact with said first heating element layer, said second heating element layer having a greater volume resistivity than said first heating element layer, a conductive layer in contact with said second heating element layer, an ink layer provided on the side of said conductive layer opposite to said second heating element layer, and an adhesion-improving layer formed on the interface between said conductive layer and second heating element layer by the interaction therebetween so as to have a given volume resistivity.

Abstract: An ink transfer medium, and a method for manufacturing the medium are provided. The ink transfer medium is of the electrically fusible type, and has an anisotropically electrically conductive layer characterized by greater electrical conductivity in the direction normal to the surface of the layer than in a direction parallel to the surface of the layer. Other layers sequentially provided next to each other, include a resistive layer for converting an electrical signal into heat, a conductive layer, an ink separation layer, and a fusible ink layer. Examples are given illustrating the use of the ink transfer medium. The anisotropically electrically conductive layer may be made by anodizing an aluminum cylinder to form an alumina body defining a plurality of through-pores and electrolytically filling the through-pores with a metal such as nickel or cobalt.

Abstract: In a method of regenerating an ink image recording medium of a multilayered structure, after an ink image on the ink image recording medium is recorded, the surface of the heat-fusible ink layer of the ink image recording medium is uniformly charged. Then, a liquid ink for generating the ink layer, being placed under an electric field applied thereto, is supplied to the ink image recording medium. The liquid ink is prepared by dispersing heat-fusible ink powder into a liquid dispersion medium. As a result, the heat-fusible ink powder selectively sticks onto the portion on the ink release layer where the heat-fusible ink layer is absent because the ink was transferred. Finally, the ink image recording medium thus processsed is dried to remove the liquid dispersing medium.

Abstract: An image formed of a colored image forming material mainly composed of thermoplastic resin and carried by a paper sheet is heated and fused by a heating member which is typically belt-like and includes an adhesion preventive layer for preventing adhesion of the image forming material, a conductive layer formed on the adhesion preventive layer, and an electric heating layer for generating heat upon reception of electric energy. A power supply member typically has divisional electrodes arranged in the width direction of the heating member, and supplies the electric energy to the heating member. A pressurizing member is disposed opposite the heating member with the image-carrying sheet interposed therebetween, and provides a pressure acting between the divisional electrodes and the image-carrying sheet.

Abstract: An ink transfer medium, and a method for manufacturing the medium are provided. The ink transfer medium is of the electrically fusible type, and has an anisotropically electrically conductive layer characterized by greater electrical conductivity in the direction normal to the surface of the layer than in a direction parallel to the surface of the layer. Other layers, sequentially provided next to each other, include a resistive layer for converting an electrical signal into heat, a conductive layer, an ink separation layer, and a fusible ink layer. Examples are given illustrating the use of the ink transfer medium.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for regenerating an ink recording medium formed by successively laminating an anisotropic electrically conductive layer, a heating resistor layer for generating heat in response to application of an electric signal, an electrically conductive layer, an ink parting layer, and a heat-melting ink layer, in which the heat-melting ink layer after print-recording with the ink recording medium is regenerated by use of ink particles containing a binding resin and a coloring agent, the improvement is in that by use of the ink recording medium further including an ink parting layer having a thickness of 0.08 to 3 .mu.m, and a volume resistivity of 10.sup.8 .OMEGA. cm or more, the heat-melting ink layer after print-recording with the ink recording medium is electrified with the same polarity as the potential of electrified ink particles, and then the ink particles carried by an ink carrier is deposited on traces of transferred ink formed in the heat-melting ink layer.