Abstract: In the present invention, a filler element 20 formed of a viscoelastic material with a compressive residual strain of 10% or less and a 25% compressive load of 1 kg/cm2, having a specific shape, is mounted in a drum-shaped electrophotographic photosensitive body (photosensitive drum) 10. The filler element 20 has a sufficient restoring force when deformed, so that it can be fixed to position without an adhesive. Also, the filler element 20 is not moved by vibration or shock during repeated use, and good anti-vibration effect can be maintained.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit, document convey unit, display/operating portion, and hinge. The image reading unit has a slit glass plate for conveying and scanning a document, and a platen glass plate for fixing and scanning the document. The document convey unit is set above glass surfaces of the slit glass plate and platen glass plate. The display/operating portion is provided to one side of the glass surfaces. The hinge is provided to the other side of the glass plates and serves to attach the document convey unit to be openable and closeable with respect to the glass surfaces. The hinge has an angle stopper with which the document convey unit can be opened at one desired open angle selected from at least two different open angles with respect to the glass surfaces.

Abstract: A liquid image forming system including a photosensitive body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing roller which forms a contact nip with the photosensitive body, and a metering member which is closely adhered to the developing roller and regulates the developing agent to a predetermined thickness. The system includes an intermediate transfer medium onto which the image formed on the photosensitive body is transferred via a first transfer nip, and a transfer roller which forms a second transfer nip with the transfer medium. A pressure applied to the contact nip is less than 1.2 times a pressure of the metering member on the developing roller. A pressure applied to the first transfer nip is less than 1.2 times the pressure applied to the contact nip. A pressure applied to the second transfer nip is less than 1.5 times the pressure applied to the first transfer nip.

Abstract: An electrostatographic reproduction apparatus having a transfer assembly, including an electrically biased transfer roller in nip relation with a dielectric support member, for effecting transfer of a pigmented marking particle image from an image area of a dielectric support member to a receiver member in transfer relation with the dielectric support member in the transfer nip, a mechanism for cleaning the transfer roller including a control for the electrical bias on the transfer roller. The electrical bias control has a power supply generating an electrical output, of a settable polarity, connected to the transfer roller for applying an electrical bias of a set polarity thereto. A mechanism disables the power supply for a period of time during a start-up phase of reproduction so as to prevent transfer of residual marking particles from the dielectric support member to the transfer roller.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for acquiring the nature of a toner particle layer in a printer or copier. An apparatus and a method are also provided for acquiring the moisture content of a carrier material in a printer or copier. A toner particle layer is transported forward between two capacitor plates arranged next to one another and a cooperating electrode. In a first switch status, the first and the second capacitor plate are charged with voltages opposite one another. In a second switch status, the first and the second capacitor plate are electrically connected to one another, whereby the remaining charge is identified and conclusions about the nature of the toner layer are drawn therefrom.

Abstract: A developing device, used in an image forming device where a developer supported on a developer supporter is thinned by a thinning member, and after being thinned, the developer is adhered to develop a latent image on an image supporter. An adjacent member (a developer scattering blocking member) is disposed at a position adjacent to the thinning member's downstream side in the developer supporter's moving direction, and the adjacent member's thinning member side of the opposite surface that is opposite to the developer supporter and the tip of the thinning member are disposed with an equal distance from the developer supporter. The opposite surface is gradually separated from the developer supporter at the downstream side of the developer supporter's moving direction.

Abstract: A toner container of the present invention includes a rectangular, hollow case having a top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls facing each other and two end walls facing each other. The side walls and end walls each are formed with a thin portion at the intermediate position thereof, so that the case is foldable along such thin portions. An expandable, flexible pack is implemented as a gazette bag and received in the case. A bottom plate is affixed to the bottom inner surface of the case while a shutter member is mounted on the underside of the bottom plate. The case, pack, bottom plate and shutter member are formed with respective openings for toner discharge in corresponding positions. The shutter member selectively blocks or unblocks the opening of the bottom plate.

Abstract: Representative embodiments provide for an automatic document feeder including a housing and a cover supported by the housing. The cover and the housing are configured to define a storage compartment, and the storage compartment is configured to removably store at least one scan window, wherein the at least one scan window is configured for use with the automatic document feeder. A method of using the present invention includes storing a replacement scan window within a storage compartment, removing an existing scan window from an operational location of an automatic document feeder, retrieving the replacement scan window from the storage compartment, and installing the replacement scan window in the operational location of the automatic document feeder.

Abstract: A liquid developer imaging system and a method using the system for developing an image, including a cartridge for containing a developing solution; a developing container for receiving the developing solution supplied from the cartridge via a predetermined supply line; a developing roller partly submerged in the developing solution contained in the developing container, installed to be rotated facing a photosensitive object; and a metering blade for scraping off the developing solution coated on the surface of the developing roller to a predetermined thickness, is provided. According to the system, a developing supply structure can be considerably simplified because a high-density developing solution is directly used in developing an image without a process of diluting the solution, and an image can be developed to have high definition because the concentration of the developing solution coated on the developing roller is regularly controlled by a metering blade.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus has an image bearing member for transferring an image from the image bearing member to a recording material, a fixing device for fixing an image onto the recording material, the fixing device having a heating member and back-up roller for forming a nip in cooperation with the heating member. In the image forming apparatus, a normal mode for a case in which the recording material is paper and a resin sheet mode for a case in which the recording material is resin, and wherein when the resin sheet mode is selected a voltage applied to said transfer member is lower than that of the case in which the normal mode is selected so that an absolute value of a front surface potential of the resin sheet becomes small.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to develop an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with the developer; a developer regulating member regulates an amount of the developer carried on the developer carrying member; and a controller for controlling a potential difference between the developer carrying member and the developer regulating member such that the potential difference is larger in at least a part of non-developing operation than in a developing operation when the developer carrying member carries the developer.

Abstract: A rotary developing apparatus having a plurality of developing devices mounted along the outer periphery of a cylindrical rotary unit. A first gear train for connecting the rotary unit to a drive source to rotate the rotary unit. A second gear train for connecting a developing roller of a developing device revolved and stopped at a developing position, as a result of the rotary unit being rotationally driven, to the drive source to rotate the developing roller. The rotary unit and the developing roller are rotated with the same motor used as the drive source by switching between the connections of the gear trains, thereby rapidly damping vibration generated by the rotation of the rotary unit and vibration generated by the rotation of the developing roller, and thus eliminating image defects due to displacement, etc.

Abstract: An image forming device for avoiding a concentrated contact of transfer means, including rollers, with sheet edges in a prescribed position and preventing an earlier replacement of fixing rollers in an image forming section, etc., caused by their surface exfoliation, is provided. The device has a movable member for regulating the positioning of the sheet edges parallel to the transfer direction of a sheet on a transfer passage. A regulating position for positioning the sheet by the movable member, i.e., the position of the sheet transferred to the image forming section, is randomly changed and a write-in position in the image forming section is changed conforming to the position of the sheet to make the regulating position of the movable member changeable. Thus, the concentrated contact of the transfer means with the sheet edges is avoided and the earlier replacement of the fixing rollers, etc., is prevented.

Abstract: With a fuser apparatus, for example having a pair of rollers in nip relation to transport a receiver member therebetween, to permanently fix a marking particle image to such receiver member, a skive mechanism for stripping a receiver member adhering to a fuser apparatus roller from the roller, and a mechanism for applying a release oil to the fuser rollers. The skive mechanism includes a plurality of skive fingers formed as elongated, thin, flexible members located so as to engage the fuser apparatus rollers in a manner so as to substantially prevent damage to such associated fuser apparatus rollers. Each of the skive fingers have capillary micro-grooves formed therein for the purpose of channeling release oil away from the respective skive finger tips, thereby substantially eliminating image degradation by build up of the release oil.

Abstract: In a printer with an electrically chargeable image drum, such as a laser or a LED printer, for imprinting a medium by transferring toner to the medium, including, arranged around the image drum, a charging unit, a writing unit and a toner unit, the toner unit is disposed at a predetermined angular distance from the charging unit and a sensor is disposed at essentially the same angular distance from the charging unit to determine the charge of the image unit at the toner location for adjusting the voltage of at least one of the charging unit and the toner unit depending on the charge voltage of the image drum as determined by the sensor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that prevents adverse effects caused by a transferring device on image formation while no high voltages are being applied to a transferring device includes a transferring device that transfers a developed image resting on an image carrier, to a medium, a high-voltage power supply that applies a high voltage to the transferring device, and a disabling device that disables a flow of current through the transferring device while the high-voltage power supply is not applying any high voltage to the transferring device.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a shutter system for electrophotographic machines that effectively reduces the impact of ambient light on the photoreceptor, or image-bearing member. The shutter system of the present invention utilizes a shutter member that substantially covers the cartridge chamber when in a closed position. Preferably, the shutter member is disposed at the opening of the cartridge chamber. The shutter member is held in place by one or more support brackets and is biased to the closed position by one or more springs.

Abstract: A charger includes a charging member for charging a desired member. The charging member is made up of a conductive support and a film formed on the support and formed of a substance having negative electron affinity. The film affects electrostatic electron discharge at a low voltage and can therefore charge the desired member more efficiently than a substance having electron affinity. In addition, the charger does not affect discharge and therefore reduces ozone.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for taking up the slack in the web material between the supply roller and the take-up roller in the web cleaning assembly of an electrophotographic apparatus. A clutch mechanism is positioned between the drive gear on the take-up roller and the hub of the motor that drives the drive gear. A spring-biased pawl on the hub engages a tooth of an inner gear on the drive gear to provide a driving connection between the hub and the take-up gear when the motor drives the hub in a first direction but effectively releases the driving connection when the take-up gear is manually rotated while the motor is idle. This allows the take-up roller to be rotated to take up the slack in the web without having to rotate the motor.

Abstract: A toner supplying container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus. In one embodiment, the toner supplying container includes a first container for receiving toner and a second container for accommodating toner and providing toner to the first container. The second container is releasably mounted to the first container at a predetermined position such that the first container and second container communicate to each other. The second container is replaceable when the toner accommodated in the second container is used up by a third container that is substantially identical to the second container but has toner therein.