Abstract: The present invention provides a long-life carrier for developing an electrostatic latent image to be used in such field of applications as electrostatic photography and electrostatic recording, a developer of an electrostatic latent image utilizing said carrier, a method for forming an image and an image forming apparatus by using said developer. By use of the foregoing qualities, a high-quality image can be obtained.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for surface treating a substrate used in a photosensitive imaging member including: (a) impinging a honing composition comprised of particulate material against the substrate surface to create a surface roughness sufficient to substantially suppress formation of a pattern of light and dark interference fringes upon exposure of the photosensitive imaging member, wherein the particulate material is capable of being dissolved by a solvent; and (b) rinsing the substrate surface having the surface roughness with a cleansing composition comprised of the solvent, wherein any particulate material remaining on the substrate surface having the surface roughness is dissolved by the solvent.

Abstract: A printing system for rendering marks on a recording medium receives a multi-level grey scale pixel value representing a pixel having a first resolution. A screening circuit generates a screened multi-level grey scale pixel value equal to (G.sub.L -V.sub.i)+(S.sub.i -Th)*Dmp.sub.vi *Mod.sub.Eff wherein G.sub.L is the maximum grey level value of the pixel, V.sub.i is equal to the multi-level grey scale pixel value of the first resolution, S.sub.i is equal to a screen value corresponding to a position of the pixel, Th is the threshold value, Dmp.sub.vi is a video dependent dampening factor, and Mod.sub.Eff is a modulation multiplication factor. An interpolator converts the screened multi-level grey scale pixel value to a second resolution, the second resolution being higher than the first resolution, and a binarization circuit binarizes the converted multi-level grey scale pixel value so as to output a binary signal and an error value, the error value having a resolution equal to the first resolution.

Abstract: A processor is provided with a software program specifying an overall computation that includes operations. Each operation implies a set of subcomputations, without explicitly specifying a control structure for carrying out the subcomputations according to a particular sequencing. The operations include a first and a second operation, and the provided software program further specifies how the first and second operations are combined in the overall computation. For example, the first and second operations can each imply, respectively, a first and a second computational loop, the first loop including the subcomputations of the first operation, the second loop including the subcomputations of the second operation.

Abstract: A bearing support for use in a process cartridge including a roll rotatably mounted to a housing is provided. The roll is used for transporting marking particles to a latent image to form a developed image. The bearing support supports the roll and provides an electrical path between the roll and a voltage source. The bearing support includes a body having a first feature for cooperation with the roll and a second feature for cooperation with the housing. At least one of the first feature and the second feature provides for rotatable motion between the housing and the roll. The bearing support further includes a third feature for providing an electrical path between the roll and the voltage source.

Abstract: An ink-jet printhead fabrication technique enables capillary channels for liquid ink to be formed with square or rectangular cross-sections. A sacrificial layer is placed over the main surface of a silicon chip, the sacrificial layer being patterned in the form of the void formed by the desired ink channels. A permanent layer, comprising a polybenzoxazole, is applied over the sacrificial layer. After polishing the two layers to form a uniform surface, the sacrificial layer is removed.

Abstract: In one embodiment of an ink jet print cartridge wherein ink flows from an ink container to a printhead via an ink manifold which includes an ink pipe which projects into an outlet port in the ink container. The interface between the manifold and the outlet port is sealed by placing a foam member, in compression, between two adjoining surfaces. In one embodiment, the foam is a closed cell neoprene. In another embodiment, the foam is a dual membrane consisting of a first layer of closed cell foam laminated to an open cell foam. In a third embodiment, a member is used to both seal the pipe to outlet port interface and also to wipe the ink pipe clear of ink. A polyurethane member is affixed to the outside surface of the ink container adjacent the outlet port. The polyurethane member has an aperture with a diameter which is smaller than the outside diameter of the ink pipe.

Abstract: When an information distribution section receives information sent from another information intervention apparatus, a distribution sensing section senses it and records a distribution history in a distribution history holding section. Each information intervention apparatus transmits distribution histories to a tracing center via a history sending section. In the tracing center, a distribution history collection section collects the distribution histories transmitted from the information intervention apparatuses, and stores those into a distribution history holding section. A tracing analysis section 23 analyzes an information distribution route etc. based on the distribution histories stored in the distribution history holding section 22. An analysis result display section 24 displays an analysis result.

Abstract: This invention discloses a method of holding and transporting a hollow flexible belt throughout a coating process. The method includes placing an expandable insert into the hollow portion of a seamless flexible belt, and expanding the insert until it forms a chucking device with a protrusion on at least one end. A mechanical handling device is then attached to the protrusion, and will be used to move the chuck and the belt through the dipping process, as materials needed to produce a photosensitive device are deposited onto the surface of the belt, allowing it to be transformed into an organic photoreceptor. The chucking device and flexible belt are then removed from the mechanical handling device, the belt is cut to the desired width, and the chuck is removed from the inside of the photoreceptor.

Abstract: A fuser subsystem module for an electrophotographic printer or copier pivots open to allow access to the fuser nip and the stripper finger area. Mechanisms in the module cause the sharp stripper fingers to retract when the module is opened, and also enable a stripper plate against the pressure roll to be properly oriented against the pressure roll when the module is closed.

Abstract: A multiple port rotary indexing vacuum valve in a liquid ink printer including a selecting member and a multiple port member. The selecting member, defines an aperture therethrough and a first axis, including a first oscillatory surface. The multiple port member defines a plurality of ports and a second axis, including a second oscillatory surface wherein the second oscillatory surface is matable with the first oscillatory surface so that relative movement therebetween aligns the aperture of the selecting member with one of the plurality of ports of the multiple port member.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a precise method of registering a plurality of ROS imagers, so as to form sequential registered images on a photoreceptor belt in a single pass. Pairs of belt holes are formed in the photoreceptor belt, outside the image area and outside of the scan width of the ROS imagers. A pair of light sources are incorporated into the post polygon optics of each ROS imager so as to produce a light spot at the photoreceptor surface which will periodically illuminate the holes on the belt. As the leading edge of the belt holes advances into the beams, detectors placed beneath the belt and beneath the exposure station provide signals representing the exposure level of the light source output. The position of a transmissive optical element with no optical power, subsequent to each of said ROS imagers, is adjusted in response to registration error signals generated by said photodetecting means to adjust the position of said scan lines.

Abstract: There is disclosed a compact design for the electronic circuits required to provide electrical contact to a SED roll of a segmented electrode development unit. In this invention, all the required high voltage and low voltage circuitry is placed on a printed flexible circuit which is folded and rolled into a cylindrical circuit to be connected to the SED roll. The flexible printed circuit has a plurality of output terminals each of which will be connected to one of the electrodes of the SED roll. In this invention, a spool is used to support the connection of the cylindrical circuit to the SED roll.

Abstract: To improve resistance to environmental changes and enhance system extensibility, the present invention provides an optical bus for transmitting an optical signal, which has diffusers distributed in a optical transmission layer to diffuse an input signal beam and propagate the diffused signal beam, and a signal processor for carrying out signal processing including transmission and reception of a signal beam using the optical bus.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for creating a drawing program used by a printer to print a document calculates the load on the printer for printing portions of the document, and embeds the calculated loads in the drawing program. Document data is converted into page description language commands that are used by a printer to print the document. Load parameters indicating the time and/or the memory capacity required by the printer to process each command of the page description language are stored in a memory unit. The load of the printer for each of the converted commands is calculated for each process unit of the document, which corresponds to a command string, based on the load parameters. A drawing program to be processed by the printer is then created from commands and the calculated loads.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, memory capacity necessary for temporarily retaining image data is reduced. A decoding process is carried out by diving image data for one frame into element data for each color component Y, M, C and K. The element data for each color component is stored in the temporary memory. A controller starts conveyance of recording media on the basis of estimation of the completion time of decoding processing by a decoding speed estimator, and controls the recorders for Y, M, C and K to execute the recording process of element data retained in the temporary memory. This results in an image being recorded on the recording medium for each element data retained in the temporary memory, such that the conveyance of the recording media and the supply of data to the recorders for Y, M, C and K are matched, and the data amount to be retained in the temporary memory is reduced.

Abstract: A conducting polymer film comprising a substrate comprising a semiconductor having thereon a conducting polymer film capable of being doped with or undoped of an ionic dye molecule. In the image forming process of the present invention, the conducting polymer film is irradiated with light to generate electromotive force so that the conducting polymer film is doped with or undoped of an ionic dye molecule according to the electromotive force to form an image pattern thereon. The ionic dye molecule forming the image pattern is electrochemically released, and then transferred to a recording medium such as paper. The image forming process provides images of good quality at a relatively high printing speed. The image forming process is energy-saving and takes a low running cost. An marking process and marking apparatus using the above image forming process are also disclosed.

Abstract: A charging device which is pressed against a surface of a body to be charged in a state that a voltage is applied to charge the body, having an electrically conductive support to which a voltage is applied; an electrically conductive elastic body layer fixed on the electrically conductive support for dispersing electrically conductive particles to regulate resistance and hardness; an electrode layer provided on the electrically conductive elastic body layer, and having an electrically conductive inorganic material; and a resistance regulation layer provided on the electrode layer for regulating resistance.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of polymers comprising: polymerizing at least one monomer of the formula X--CH.sub.2 -Ar-CH.sub.2 --X' in the presence of a base and at least one chain end controlling additive of the formula R--H to form a soluble conjugated poly(arylene vinylene) of the formulaR--CH.sub.2 --?Ar-CH.dbd.CH--!.sub.n -Ar-CH.sub.2 --Rwhere X and X' are electron withdrawing groups, R--H is a compound containing at least one acidic proton, R is a nucleophile, Ar is an aryl or aromatic group with from 5 to 30 carbon atoms, and n represents the number of repeating segments.