Abstract: A method of fabricating a controlled and uniform cell size blotter roll for blotting liquid images consisting of toner particles and carrier liquid. The method includes the step of mixing a first grade of salt having first particles of a first uniform size with a polymer material so as to form a first mixture. The method next includes a step of extruding the first mixture to form an extruded sleeve having intimately compacted polymer material and salt particles, an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a hollow interior.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cartridge life detecting system which detects and manages the life of a cartridge by mounting a memory on a print cartridge comprising at least an image formation member removably mounted on a main body of an image formation apparatus, carrying out operation to obtain information about the life of the cartridge based on contents read from the memory and criterial information of the life of the cartridge, and writing information about the life in the memory, comprises the steps of setting a value corresponding to the life of the cartridge by selecting one among combination of the number of printed sheets and the number of rotations of the image formation member, combination of the number of printed sheets and the number of pixels of image information, and combination of the number of printed sheets, the number of rotations of the image formation member and the number of pixels of image information, storing the value in the memory in advance, and making determination as to the l

Abstract: A priming element for priming or maintaining the nozzles or orifices of an ink jet printhead in an ink jet printer. The priming element applies a vacuum or negative pressure generated by a suction device to the nozzles. The priming element includes a first wall and a second wall spaced from the first wall to define a passageway between the first wall and the second wall. One or more support members connect the first wall to the second wall and span the passageway to prevent the walls of the priming element from collapsing from the applied vacuum or negative pressure.

Abstract: A novel capsule toner is provided, comprising a core and a shell covering the core, wherein the shell is made of a substance capable of producing radical and there is attached to the surface of said shell a polymer comprising as monomer component a quaternary ammonium salt-containing vinyl monomer represented by formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom or methyl group; R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 each represents a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-5 alkyl group or a benzyl group; Y represents --CO.sub.2 -- or --CONH--; n represents an integer 1 to 7; and X.sup.- represents an anion containing -COO.sup.- group, --SO.sub.3.sup.- group or --SO.sub.4.sup.- group in the structure.

Abstract: Low fix temperature toners are fabricated by a two step melt mixing and reactive melt mixing process wherein there is initially prepared, for example, using a melt mixing device, a composite of pigment and resin, followed by crosslinking of the resin component at high temperature and high shear to produce a partially crosslinked toner with substantially no unpigmented gel domains. The toners are particularly suitable for high speed fusing, show excellent offset resistance and wide fusing latitude, and superior vinyl offset properties.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for differentiating and extracting handwritten annotations and machine printed text in an image. The method provides for the use of morphological operations, preferably at reduced scale, to eliminate for example, the handwritten annotations from an image. A separation mask is produced that, for example, converts all the image pixels corresponding to machine printed text, and none of the image pixels corresponding to handwritten or handprinted annotations. The separation mask is used in conjunction with the original image to produce separate handwritten annotations and machine printed text images. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for identifying the location of specialized type styles such as bold and italic is disclosed. The method erodes a binary image utilizing structuring elements which provide a relatively large number of hits in regions containing the specialized type styles.

Abstract: In a high speed two up electronic printing system in which dual page images are concurrently printed side by side onto image substrate material and outputted as two parallel individual sheets paired laterally transverse the printing path direction, to increase printing throughput, a sheet output lateral sheet merging and stacking system laterally overlaps the two printed output sheets on top of one another in sheet pairs, and consecutively stacks the sheet pairs on top of one another, to provide a collated output, preferably using a compact a disk stacking system which laterally shifts and superposes the printed paired sheets on top of one another while both sheets of the pair are being arcuately supported and rotated for inversion. Also disclosed is a paired cut sheet input feeding and outside edge sheet registration and spacing system and an interrupted line printing system therefor.

Abstract: An image signal coding device capable of attaining a high-speed coding operation without increasing a circuit scale. The image signal coding device includes a DCT section for performing two-dimensional orthogonal transform to each of plural pixel blocks obtained by dividing an image signal to generate a transform coefficient, a linear quantization section for linearly quantizing the transform coefficient by using given quantization characteristics to generate a quantized coefficient, and a variable length coding section for performing variable length coding to the quantized coefficient to generate code data. The image signal coding device further includes an effective region holding section for holding region information including a range of the transform coefficient to be linearly quantized by the linear quantization section and a range of the quantized coefficient to be coded by the variable length coding section.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing a multicolor image on a sheet movable along a sheet path in a process direction. The apparatus includes a first printhead mounted at a first location along the sheet path and containing a first type ink for printing a first portion of the image on the sheet in which the first type ink has a surface tension greater than 40 dynes/cm at room temperature. The apparatus also includes a set of secondary printheads mounted along the sheet path and separated a small gap from the first printhead. The set of secondary printheads each contains a secondary type ink for printing a secondary portion of the multicolor image on the sheet, and each of the secondary type ink has a surface tension less than 40 dynes/cm at room temperature.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical link amplifier which reduces the attenuation of the optical signal passing through optical an link amplifier so as to have a fail-safe function to ensure the communication path of an optical signal even if abnormality occurs at an optical amplifier, and an wavelength multiplex laser oscillator in which the spectrum width of the laser beam is narrow and coupling coefficient with an optical fiber is increased.

Abstract: An image fixing device is provided that includes a heat roller disposed rotatably, and a fixed way to apply pressure for contacting and applying pressure to the heat roller to form a nip portion. A recording sheet on which an unfixed toner image is formed passes through the image fixing device for fixing the toner image. The heat roller has a releasing layer on its surface for stripping the recording sheet which has passed through the nip portion, and .mu..sub.2 and .mu..sub.2 having the following relation.mu..sub.1 /.mu..sub.2 .gtoreq.5,wherein .mu..sub.1 is a frictional coefficient between the releasing layer of the heat roller and the recording sheet and .mu..sub.2 is a frictional coefficient between the surface of the pressure applying means and the recording sheet.

Abstract: A method of recovering ink jet performance of an ink jet recording apparatus, comprises the steps of: first covering a nozzle surface of an ink jet head with a cap; sucking the nozzle surface of the ink jet head to a vacuum by driving a variable vacuum suction pump for suction at a normal suction speed, the variable vacuum suction pump being connected to the cap through a communication member so as to communicate therewith; and thereafter driving the variable vacuum suction pump for idle suction at a speed that is lower than the normal suction speed with the cap moved away from the nozzle surface of the ink jet head.

Abstract: A color printer having a photoconductive belt and employing liquid developer. A latent image is recorded on the photoconductive belt corresponding to the subtractive color of one of the colors of the appropriately colored toner particles at a first development station. An image conditioning system condition the developed image by reducing fluid content while inhibiting the departure of toner particles therefrom thereby increasing solids content of the developed image on the photoconductive belt. The photoconductive surface with the developed image thereon is recharged and re-exposed to record the latent image thereon corresponding to the subtractive primary of another color of the original. This latent image is developed with appropriately colored toner and conditioned. This process is repeated until all the different color toner layers are deposited in superimposed registration with one another on the photoconductive surface.

Abstract: A toner scraper includes a rubber member which is to be contacted with the rotation body of a developing device, and a plate spring member for elastically supporting the rubber member which is fixed to the front end portion of the plate spring member, wherein at least an edge portion of the rubber member which is in the side of a portion of the plate spring member at which the plate spring member is supported is contacted with the surface of the rotation body.Such a toner scraper which is contacted with a roll or belt-like rotation body disposed as a component of a developing device and which scrapes off a toner adhering to the surface of the rotation body is configured so that the scraper can scrape off the toner uniformly and stably even when the contact pressure is relatively low, the scraper can be produced at a low cost, and the scraper has a simple structure.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of developer compositions comprising providing a first developer comprised of carrier and first toner comprised of resin, pigment, polyolefin, compatibilizer, charge control agent, and surface additive, and adding thereto a second replenisher comprised of carrier, and second toner comprised of resin, pigment, polyolefin, compatibilizer, charge control agent, and surface additive, and wherein the surface additive of the second toner is present in a lesser amount than the surface additive of the first toner.

Abstract: A donor roll for transporting marking particles to an electrostatic latent image recorded on a surface is provided. The donor roll is adaptable for use with a commutator for applying an electrical field to the roll to assist in transporting the marking particles. The donor roll includes a rotatably mounted body and an electrode member mounted on the body. The donor roll further includes a connector operably associated with the body, electrically connected to the electrode member, and rotatable with the body. The connector is adapted to be removably connectable to the commutator.

Abstract: An assembly apparatus for assembling a folder having a front panel hinged to a rear panel. Registration edges are provided for registering the front panel. Flap portion is provided for holding the front panel in a registration position. And registration edges are provided for registering the rear panel so that the rear panel is aligned when attached to the front panel being in the registration position.

Abstract: A two-pass light/lens highlight color copier in which high contrast images are created providing relatively large development fields or potentials compared to those associated with tri-level imaging. The imaging system disclosed has a conventional light lens imaging or exposure station, one Charged Area Development (CAD) subsystem including positively charged black toner, and one CAD scavengeless development subsystem including a positively charged highlight color toner. Other subsystems normally found in the xerographic imaging environment, such as charging, exposure, transfer and fusing are also employed. A high contrast CAD image is formed in the first pass using conventional Light/Lens scanning optics. A spectral filter is used with the Light/Lens optics during a second pass for forming a highlight color image.

Abstract: The order of pixel data is converted on a frame-by-frame basis to produce a prescribed combination of pixel data. To construct frames, sequence numbers representing the order of the frames are attached to respective frame data each composed of a plurality of pixel data thus produced. The frames thus constructed are transmitted to the transmission line. On the receiving side, the sequence numbers of the frames received from the transmission line are checked to detect a missing frame. Pixel data of the missing frame is replaced by those of a frame having a sequence number immediately before that of the missing frame. An image is reconstructed by inversely converting the order of the pixel data which include the replaced pixel data.

Abstract: A document reproduction machine having an optical component which is coated with a low surface energy transparent coating to reduce the adhesion of particles on the optical component. During the forming of the coating the lateral conductivity of the coating is modified so as to dissipate electrical charge build up on the coating.