Abstract: The present invention relates to the integration of a TMP with the associated bypass line and valves so that a single sub-assembly is created. The housing of the TMP is significantly modified to accommodate the associated equipment necessary for constructing a high-vacuum system.

Abstract: A vacuum apparatus has a process chamber for processing a workpiece and a transfer apparatus for positioning the workpiece in the process chamber and for removing the workpiece from the process chamber. The transfer apparatus has a pair of generally parallel and spaced-apart transfer bodies and a workpiece holder connected to the transfer bodies for supporting the workpiece. A feeding mechanism feeds the transfer bodies in a longitudinal direction thereof to position the workpiece holder and the workpiece in the process chamber.

Abstract: A vacuum apparatus used for a semiconductor manufacturing process or the like is provided, which is space-saving and provided at low cost. A work-piece is transferred to a transfer chamber from the outside under an atmospheric pressure and disposed on a work-piece holder hand inside the transfer chamber, and the transfer chamber is blocked from the outside and the inside of the chamber is made to be in a vacuum. Thereafter, a gate valve provided between the transfer chamber and the process chamber is opened and a pair of tapes made of an elastic material of the transfer apparatus set inside the transfer chamber is extended to the inside of the process chamber. The work-piece disposed on the work-piece holder hand, which is provided in the tip end portion of the tape, is set in the process chamber, or the work-piece having finished processing is disposed on the work-piece holder hand, thereby returning the object to the transfer chamber by returning the tape.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus effectively prevents scattering of a toner image transferred to an intermediate transfer belt. The image forming apparatus has an image carrier 1 on which a toner image T formed according to image data is held; an intermediate transfer belt 3 disposed facing the image carrier 1 and supported on so as to move circularly about plural rollers 2 with tension applied; a first bias transfer unit 4 for sequentially transferring a toner image T on image carrier 1 to intermediate transfer belt 3; and a second bias transfer unit 6 for batch transferring the toner image T on intermediate transfer belt 3 to a recording medium 5; and a potential holding unit 8 for holding the surface potential of the first contact member 7 at or above the charge potential of the back of intermediate transfer belt 3, and disposed to the contact member 7 first contacting the intermediate transfer belt 3 after it passes the first bias transfer unit 4.

Abstract: The present invention prevents a recording sheet from generating wrinkles, by expanding means having an inverted crown shape pressing roll or a special sheet shape discharge restraining baffle, at the nip portion, expanding the recording sheet toward the right and left sides from the central portion in the sheet moving direction, temporal adsorbing means having discharge-output control means for an adsorbing charger or a contact pressure adjustment mechanism of the pressing roll temporarily adsorbing, in the nip portion, the leading end of the recording sheet to the dielectric film with small adsorbing force, correction means having an outer roll and an inner roll or the like disposed between the recording-sheet adsorbing apparatus and a portion for electrostatically transferring a toner image disposed downstream from the recording-sheet adsorbing apparatus applying pressure to the dielectric film to which the recording sheet has been adsorbed so that a state of adsorption of the recording sheet before a firs

Abstract: A transfer drum includes a pair of annular frames, a coupling member for coupling the annular frames, and a transfer material holding member being wrapped around the annular frames. In the transfer drum, the coupling member is attached so that a top face of a main body, other than attachment ends of the coupling member, is positioned relative to the annular frames to be lower than outer peripheral surfaces of the annular frames. The transfer material holding member has ends in a circumferential direction overlapped on and bonded to each other and ends in an axial direction stuck to the outer peripheral surfaces of the annular frames. The transfer material holding member is attached so that it is placed out of contact with the top face of the main body of the coupling member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms an image by transferring a developed image formed on an image holding member onto a transfer material by a transfer unit. The image forming apparatus is further provided with an induced-charge density suppressing unit. This induced-charge density suppressing unit suppresses the density of electric charge induced in the area of the image holding member which is opposite to an image forming member as a result of stoppage of the image forming member that is opposite to the image holding member and is electrostatically charged.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing vibration of a transfer film caused from the operation of a separating device to prevent irregular density distribution and change in the hue. The image forming apparatus according to the present invention and having: a transfer-medium holding member having a transfer film for adsorbing and carrying a transfer medium and arranged such that an image is formed on the transfer medium; an internally and upwardly pushing member movably disposed on the surface of the transfer film opposite to the surface to which the transfer medium is adsorbed; a moving device for moving the internally and upwardly pushing member by a predetermined quantity so that the internally and upwardly pushing member upwardly pushes the transfer film to deform the transfer film to separate the transfer medium from the transfer film; and a preventing device for preventing vibration of the internally and upwardly pushing member.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus wherein plural developing devices 3 have alternating electric field applying mechanisms 4, the alternating electric field applying mechanisms 4 have alternating electric field changing mechanisms 7 for reducing the degree of the action of the alternating electric field on at least one of the developing devices 3 which are later in development order, to a level which is lower than that in the preceding step. As required, at least one of the transferring devices 5 which are later in transfer order has a transfer force changing mechanism 8 for increasing the force of transfer to a transfer medium 6 applied to a color-component toner image on an image carrier 1, to a level which is higher than that in the preceding step. Furthermore, an operation condition judging mechanism 9 may judge whether preset transfer failure conditions are satisfied or not, or environmental conditions may be considered by an environmental condition adjusting device 10.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a photosensitive drum on the outer surface of which an image to be transferred is formed; a transfer drum arranged in parallel to the photosensitive drum and substantially in contact with the outer surface of the photosensitive drum, the transfer drum capable of adsorbing a sheet on its outer surface; and a sheet guide for guiding the sheet supplied toward the transfer drum to a transfer position between the photosensitive drum and the transfer drum. At an end of the sheet guide on the side of the transfer position, a hill-shaped guide is provided which flexes at a flexing point in a plane orthogonal to the rotary axis of each of both drums so as to be convex toward the photosensitive drum. The side of the hill-shaped guide from the flexing point toward, and closest to, the transfer position is inclined toward the photosensitive drum with respect to a tangent of the photosensitive drum passing the transfer position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying body on which a toner image is created. A sheet carrying/transporting rotational body adsorbs a recording sheet to which the toner image on the image carrying body is transferred, and transports the sheet. The recording sheet is detached after transfer from the sheet carrying/transporting rotating body, and an assisting device thrusts against the non-image area of the recording sheet to limit its detachment from the sheet carrying/transporting rotating body. The image forming device can prevent transportation failure and image smudging that is otherwise generated when a thick sheet provided with a curl before it is adsorbed to a sheet carrying/transporting rotational body is detached in the curved state from the rotational body and transported to a fusing means.

Abstract: A developing device which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier by toner, thereby forming a toner image; a transferring device which transfers the toner image to a fed transfer material; a registration device which provides a timing of feeding the transfer material; a curling device which nips the transfer material so as to produce a curl which is curved in the same direction as the transferring device; a curling control device which controls a nip operation mechanism of the curling device; and mode setting means for instructing the curling control device to operate are disclosed. In accordance with a thick sheet mode set in the mode setting means, the nip operation of the curling device is executed and a dummy transfer period in which the transfer operation of the transferring device is stopped is set.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit for forming an adsorb-charging region having a length along a paper transporting direction from a rear end of an image region on the recording paper adsorbed on the recording paper carrying/transporting member toward a backward direction by controlling operation-OFF timing of the adsorb-transferring charging means in such a manner that this operation-OFF timing is delayed from operation-OFF timing of the latent image forming unit, and this length of the adsorb-charging region becomes longer than, or equal to 1.5 mm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which prevents the toner image, which is transferred onto the recording sheet but not yet fixed thereto, from being scattered, by reducing the amount of the charge, which is generated by the pre-cleaning charge removal means and attaches to a recording sheet on a transfer-member supporting member after it passes the image transfer stage. In the image forming apparatus, a recording sheet is transported in a state that it is electrostatically attracted onto a drum sheet, a toner image is formed on a photoreceptor drum in accordance with image information, and the toner image is transferred from the photoreceptor drum onto the recording sheet by using a transfer corotron disposed on the rear side of the drum sheet.

Abstract: A transporting device of the magnetically floating type is disposed in a central area of a multi-chamber to transport a semiconductor wafer into and out of peripheral processing rooms. The transporting device is comprised of a movable slider member having a working arm disposed along an axial direction and a server disposed at an end portion of the working arm for carrying a wafer. An electromagnet magnetically floats the slider member to drive the same in the axial direction. Sensors sense the size of the gap between the electromagnet and the slider member. Based on the magnitude of the gap, a PID circuit controls an electric current supplied to the electromagnet to maintain the slider member in a horizontal attitude state. A comparator operates to detect a variation in the electric current flowing through the electromagnet in order to determine whether the server is loaded with the wafer.

Abstract: A conveyor for conveying a workpiece in a vacuum chamber includes a floating body having a conveying rod, a pair of magnetic bearing portions disposed in a moving direction of the floating body and supporting the floating body solely by magnetic forces, and a non-contact driving motor portion for directly reciprocating the floating body. The floating body is directly reciprocated by a linear pulse motor. The linear pulse motor comprises a motor main body and a cog portion, and the motor main body is interposed between a pair of magnetic bearing portions. The cog portion is disposed in a longitudinal or axial direction of the outer peripheral surface of the floating body and coacts with the motor main body to reciprocate the floating body.