Abstract: A waste toner collecting container which is used in a color image forming apparatus and can be removed from the machine and stores waste toner particles which have not been transferred to recording paper and have been collected, is constructed such that an air sealing member is disposed at the coupling between the waste toner collecting container and a conveying member for conveying the collected waste toner into the waste toner collecting container to prevent the waste toner from seeping out at the coupling when the waste toner is conveyed and to seal the collecting port so that no waste toner will spill out from the waste toner collecting container which has been removed for replacement after the waste toner collected and conveyed therein has reached the predetermined amount.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes: a multiple number of process printing units, each having an photoreceptor drum for supporting a developer image formed with a developer corresponding to each color of color-separated image information; a transfer belt to which the developer images formed on the photoreceptor drums are transferred; and a transfer roller for transferring the transferred developer image to recording paper, and is constructed so that the transfer belt is formed of a material which makes it possible for the transfer belt to attenuate the voltage charged thereon by 1,000 V or greater while it moves from a position where secondary transfer is performed to a position where the initial primary transfer is performed.

Abstract: A cleaning system includes a rotating member and a cleaning blade which is forced against a curved outer surface of the rotating member to scrape off matter to be removed (toner) which is present along the outer surface of the rotating member. The cleaning blade has greater hardness than the outer surface of the rotating member.

Abstract: Providing a technology capable of obtaining a desired resistance value through preferable controllability, and improving linearity between voltage and current.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus and an image forming apparatus are disclosed, in which a plurality of photosensitive drums corresponding to the respective colors are arranged along the outer peripheral surface of a transfer belt and a plurality of intermediate transfer rollers for applying a transfer field to the photosensitive drums are arranged offset downstream side from each of the photosensitive drums, respectively. In addition to that, the process, the intermediate transfer rollers are arranged in such positions that each of the nip width are increased progressively downstream side, respectively and each of the nip pressure are decreased progressively downstream side, respectively.

Abstract: A paper separator may be equipped with plurality of paper-separating fingers for separating sheet(s) of paper for image formation and abutting and/or backed off from photosensitive body or bodies, paper separator optionally comprising finger body or bodies capable of abutting photosensitive body or bodies; spur(s)—capable of touching so as to guide sheet(s) of paper for image formation which has or have separated from photosensitive body or bodies; and/or support component(s) pivotably supporting paper-separating finger(s) so as to impart restoring force(s) thereto urging paper-separating finger(s) to under the force(s) of its or their own weight(s) bring finger body or bodies into abutting engagement with photosensitive body or bodies, and so as to, when spur(s) is or are touching sheet(s) of paper for image formation, cause finger body or bodies to at least partially overcome restoring force(s) produced by weight(s) of paper-separating finger(s) or portion(s) thereof and back off from photosensitive body or

Abstract: A transfer device is provided including an intermediate transfer belt and transfer rollers associated with respective of photosensitive drums. Each of the transfer rollers and the intermediate transfer belt define therebetween a contact range of which center lies downstream of the center of a contact range (transfer nip region) defined between the associated photosensitive drum and the endless belt in the direction of movement of the endless belt. The transfer roller deforms the path of movement of the intermediate transfer belt by contacting the intermediate transfer belt, and the resulting deformation causes the intermediate transfer belt to contact the periphery of the photosensitive drum over a predetermined range.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus and an image forming apparatus capable of transferring an image satisfactorily using developing agent are disclosed. A transfer system includes photosensitive drums corresponding to the respective colors arranged along the outer peripheral surface of a transfer belt and intermediate transfer rollers arranged offset downstream side from the respective photosensitive drums for applying a transfer field to the respective photosensitive drums. The transfer belt is configured of a material such as polyimide or polycarbonate in which a surge current of not less than a specified value flows immediately after application of a transfer voltage.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus a primary transfer is carried out such that toner images on a plurality of photoreceptors are transferred and laminated onto an intermediate transfer member, and a recording paper and the intermediate transfer member are sandwiched between a secondary transfer roller disposed so as to be in contact with the intermediate transfer member and a secondary transfer counter roller disposed opposite to the secondary transfer roller, to carry out a secondary transfer that the toner images on the intermediate transfer member are transferred onto the recording paper. At the time, an electric field is applied to the recording paper, and further the secondary transfer counter roller is switched by a switch between grounded state and floating state so that a potential difference between the intermediate transfer member and the secondary transfer roller can be adjusted.

Abstract: A transfer device has a control circuit. The control circuit initiates supplying transfer power to one or more first transfer rollers and to a second transfer roller when a first transfer operation is initiated by a first transfer roller positioned most upstream with respect to a direction in which an intermediate transfer belt travels. The control circuit stops supplying the transfer power to the one or more first transfer rollers and to the second transfer roller when a second transfer operation is completed by the second transfer roller. The transfer power supplied to the one or more first transfer rollers and to the second transfer roller, respectively, is free from fluctuation during a period from the initiation of the first transfer operation performed first to the completion of the second transfer operation.

Abstract: A rotation speed of a heating roller 39a and a pressure roller 39b is variably controlled by a CPU 542 based on a sheet size to be printed, a direction the sheet is to be passed, and a number of sheets to be printed. Specifically, variable control of the rotation speeds of the heating roller 39a and the pressure roller 39b by the CPU 542 is based on an occurrence of a pass-through area 39b1 and a non-pass-though area 39b2 by a sheet of recording paper with respect to a roller lengthwise direction (axial direction) of a position at which the sheet of recording paper passes between the heating roller 39a and the pressure roller 39b, and controlled based on a thermal expansion coefficient of a roller diameter of the non-pass-though area 39b2 of the pressure roller 39b.

Abstract: A plurality of recesses are provided on a first main surface of an n-type semiconductor region of a semiconductor chip forming a constant voltage diode, and a p++-type semiconductor region is provided on the first main surface including inner faces of the plurality of recesses. Thereby, a portion of a depletion layer width with high voltage dependency and a portion thereof with low voltage dependency can be provided at a p-n junction portion of the constant voltage diode formed by the p++-type semiconductor region and the n-type semiconductor region. As a result, a leakage current can be reduced in a blocking state where a breakdown voltage of the p-n junction portion of the constant voltage diode is set to be low. Accordingly, a leakage current of a constant voltage diode can be lowered.

Abstract: A transfer device is provided including an intermediate transfer belt and transfer rollers associated with respective of photosensitive drums. Each of the transfer rollers and the intermediate transfer belt define therebetween a contact range of which center lies downstream of the center of a contact range (transfer nip region) defined between the associated photosensitive drum and the endless belt in the direction of movement of the endless belt. The transfer roller deforms the path of movement of the intermediate transfer belt by contacting the intermediate transfer belt, and the resulting deformation causes the intermediate transfer belt to contact the periphery of the photosensitive drum over a predetermined range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pair of optical sensing devices for monochrome image forming and full-color image forming which are disposed at the rear of the image forming apparatus and a pair of generally L-shaped light shielding members for monochrome image forming and full-color image forming which are mounted swingably on a rear side of an image transfer unit with one end of each light shielding member attached to one of two sliding members. When each of the sliding members moves back and forth, the light shielding member for monochrome image forming or full-color image forming, whichever applicable, swings and the relevant optical sensing device detects the other end of the light shielding member.

Abstract: A developer collecting apparatus includes a positioning frame for determining a mounting position of a photoreceptor onto a casing; a waste developer container in which waste developer eliminated by cleaning section is stored; and a container mounting section for mounting the waste developer container so as to be removable from the positioning frame and holding the waste developer container so as to be angularly displaceable with respect to the positioning frame. Further, the container mounting section includes a container holding member that is disposed so as to be angularly displaceable with respect to the positioning frame, for holding the waste developer container; a cam member disposed so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the container holding member is angularly displaced; and an elastic member for biasing the cam member to the container holding member with an elastic force.

Abstract: A roller turning force generator is connected to a driving gear which is mounted on a shaft. The shaft is connected to offset roller assemblies disposed in an offset mechanism via connecting gears. The offset roller assemblies rotatably supported inside the offset mechanism are turned by a driving force transmitted from the roller turning force generator to discharge individual sheets of a printing medium in a sheet transport direction. The offset mechanism is linked to an offsetting force generator so that the offset mechanism can be shifted along a direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction.

Abstract: Provided are photosensitive body or bodies 31b carrying toner; transfer roller(s) 31d, rotating and coming in contact with photosensitive body or bodies 31b, for causing toner image(s) formed on photosensitive body or bodies 31b to be electrostatically relocated onto paper 5; and paper transport means disposed upstream in transport direction(s) from transfer roller(s) 31d and comprising drive roller(s) 36d1 and idler roller(s) 36d2 holding lead edge portion(s) 5a of paper 5 in nip(s) formed therebetween and rotating so as to cause transport of same; drive roller(s) 36d1 and idler roller(s) 36d2 being disposed to the side, on which photosensitive body or bodies 31b is or are present, of a plane L more or less tangent to nip(s) formed between photosensitive body or bodies 31b and transfer roller(s) 31d; and direction(s) R of transport of paper from drive roller(s) 36d1 and idler roller(s) 36d2 being disposed so as to be directed toward transfer roller(s) 31d.

Abstract: A developer collecting apparatus for collecting waste developer which is generated by cleaning residual developer remained on a photoreceptor and an intermediate transfer body, includes: a waste developer container for accommodating the waste developer; a stirring member rotatably provided in the waste developer container, for stirring the waste developer; and a driving section for giving a rotary driving force to the stirring member. The driving section of the stirring member has: a driving source; a first driving force transmitting path and a second driving force transmitting path which are coupled on the driving source, for transmitting the rotary driving force to the stirring member, and when a rotational load on the first driving force transmitting path reaches a predetermined level or more, a switch-over of transmitting path can be performed from the first driving force transmitting path to the second driving force transmitting path.

Abstract: For an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier (31b), besides an operation forming an “image forming electrostatic latent image” used to form the primary image, an operation is executed that forms an “electrostatic latent image for removing developer” for removing developer that resides on a developer supply member (53a) for a predetermined time period onto the image carrier (31b). Thus, developer is nearly eliminated from residing on this developer supply member (53a) in an overcharged state for a long period of time, and generation of a fogged image is avoided as much as possible.

Abstract: A transfer device has a plurality of first transfer rollers provided, one in each of a plurality of first transfer regions. The first transfer rollers are arranged downstream of respective image carriers in a traveling direction of an intermediate transfer belt, so as to be out of contact with the image carriers through the belt. In the first transfer region that is located most upstream in the traveling direction, there is a pressure member provided upstream of the image carrier in the traveling direction for pressing the intermediate transfer belt against the image carrier.