Abstract: An image-forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet-like material, having an image-forming unit for forming a toner image on the sheet-like material, and a heated roller for heating the sheet-like material with the toner image. The heated roller includes a surface layer having a heat-shrunk fluorine resin. A pressure roller is arranged in rolling contact with the heated roller, for pressing the sheet-like material against the heated roller. A member for providing at least one of the following conditions: a) temperature at the surface of the heated roller of at least 200.degree. C.; b) a pressure between the heated roller and the pressure roller of at least about 72.5 N; c) a hardness of the surface of the pressure roller of at least about 40.degree. (ASKER-C system); and d) an elastic surface layer on the pressure roller having a thickness of at most about 50 .mu.m and which comprises a fluorine resin.

Abstract: A developing apparatus in which a stationary multipole permanent magnet is placed in a sleeve and in which development is performed by bringing a developer, which contains at least carrier and toner particles and is held on the periphery of a sleeve by use of the magnetic force of the multipole permanent magnet, into contact with a photo-conductive body owing to the rotation of the sleeve. For securing image density and for preventing the deposition of carrier onto the photo-conductive body, two magnetic pieces, each of which is arranged lengthwise in the direction of the axis thereof and which have the same polarity, are placed in a region in the multipole permanent magnet which faces the photo-conductive body in such a manner as to adjoin in the circumferential direction of said permanent magnet. This results in generation of the distribution of a magnetic field which has two peaks of magnetic force.

Abstract: A system for cleaning a charge inducing member comprising a cleaning element for establishing relative lineal as well as rotary movement between the cleaning element and charge inducing member. Embodiments include various mechanisms for imparting axial reciprocal motion to the cleaning element and for disabling reciprocation of the cleaning element or separating the cleaning element and charging member from each other during sensitive portions of a photoduplication cycle.

Abstract: The present invention provides in a preferred embodiment a developer container having a supply and discharge shaft which is driven and rotated in a direction by a supply and discharge shaft motor, a supply screw mounted on one of the ends of the supply and discharge shaft for bringing unused developer in a developer supply container into a developer container, and a discharge screw mounted on the other end of the supply and discharge shaft for discharging the developer in the developer container through a developer discharge opening. With this structure, the ratio of replacing old developer with new developer in the developer container is controlled in the desired manner, and the charging property of the developer is maintained substantially uniform. Additionally, since the replacement efficiency of the developer is improved, the consumption of the developer is reduced. Moreover, even when a copying machine is tilted, a large amount of developer is unlikely to be discharged.

Abstract: A charging device including a charging member which is in contact with or minutely spaced from a surface of a photosensitive member, device for applying a constant voltage to the charging member, and a controller for controlling the voltage applied to the charging member when a current flowing from the charging member to the surface of the photosensitive member exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: A reproduction apparatus including a transfer drum for electrostatic transfer of a toner image from an image bearing member, and a transfer drum cleaning mechanism. The transfer drum cleaning mechanism comprises a member for wiping the surface of the transfer drum to remove residual toner and debris therefrom. The wiper is selectively movable into operative relation with the transfer drum surface. A blade member is provided for removing toner and debris from the wiper. The blade member is resiliently urged into association with the wiper under substantially uniform load.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes a compact substrate having transmission circuitry such as actuation signal lines and address circuitry and ground lines in connection with resistors in a plurality of vaporization chambers on the substrate, with a minimal number of interconnect junctions located at both ends of the substrate. A print cartridge holding the inkjet printhead has a flexible circuit member with conductive traces permanently bonded at one end to the interconnect junctions and terminating at the other end at cartridge interconnect pads.

Abstract: An apparatus performs emboss-printing. The apparatus forms an image on a print supporting member, such as a paper sheet, by using a powder printing member. The charge characteristics of the image and the print supporting member are different from each other. Because of the different charge characteristics of the two members, a thermoplastic developing agent is selectively attached to either the image portion or the non-image portion of the print supporting member. The attached thermoplastic developing agent is heat-melted to form an embossed image.

Abstract: Disclosed is an inkjet print cartridge having an ink reservoir; a substrate having a plurality of individual ink firing chambers with an ink firing element in each chamber along a top surface of the substrate and having a first outer edge along a periphery of substrate; the first outer edge being in close proximity to the ink firing chambers. The ink firing chambers are arranged in a first chamber array and a second chamber array and with the firing chambers spaced so as to provide 600 dots per inch printing. An ink channel connects the reservoir with the ink firing chambers, the channel including a primary channel connected at a first end with the reservoir and at a second end to a secondary channel; the primary channel allowing ink to flow from the ink reservoir, around the first outer edge of the substrate to the secondary channel along the top surface of the substrate so as to be proximate to the ink firing chambers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mold releasing elastic roller having an insulating elastic layer; an insulating and mold releasing surfacial layer formed on said elastic layer; and a primer layer for adhering the elastic layer and the mold releasing surfacial layer, the primer layer containing a material of low resistance.

Abstract: The improved color image forming apparatus is adapted for image formation from either a reflection-type original or a transmission-type original by the user who selects the proper exposure optics (or unit) in accordance with the kind and size of the original to be duplicated. The apparatus is capable of image formation with the necessary color and/or density related adjustments being performed by basically the same operating device through basically the same operation without any regard to the kind and size of the original and the desired image of high quality can be formed by a simple method. The color and/or density related adjustment necessary for image formation with the selected exposure optics (or unit) is performed by the same input device without regard to the kind of document to be duplicated.

Abstract: A developer control for enabling the use of developer and toner materials with widely varying At in high quality xerographic copying and printing. Pixel count data is combined with toner test patch reflectance data during a brief toner rundown to determine the rate of change of density per unit change in toner concentration. During toner rundown, dispensing of toner is suspended for a period of time for effecting toner concentration reduction by approximately 0.25%. The change in Toner Concentration (TC) is estimated using pixel counting. Additionally, toner test patches are created and the reflectance thereof is measured for determining the change in toner density. The estimated TC change and the change in toner density are processed using linear regression to find the average change in density sensor output for the estimated change in TC which is referred to as the rundown slope. The rundown slope is then compared to a target value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and device each for controlling the temperature of a thermal fixing machine where a toner image is fixed on a recording medium in a printer, a facsimile apparatus, or a copying machine using electrophotograpic technique. The object is to control the temperature, of a thermal fixing machine with high accuracy by increasing substantially a resolution of an A/D converter without increasing a device manufacturing cost, and reducing an effect on a temperature detection value due to noises. The system includes temperature detecting device for detecting the temperature of a thermal fixing machine as a digital value, sampling device for sampling plural temperature detection values detected with said temperature detecting device, and control device for subjecting a heater to an on/off control based on plural temperature detection values sampled by the sampling device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeder for feeding a new paper accommodated in a feeding cassette, an image forming device which forms an image on the paper fed by the feeder, an intermediate container which temporarily accommodates the paper fed by the feeder and having the image thereon, a refeeder which refeeds the accommodated paper from the intermediate container to form an image on the paper again, a detector which detects presence or absence of paper to be fed by the refeeder for image formation, and a controller which effects a change-over from the paper feeding operation by the refeeder to the paper feeding operation by the feeder when the detector detects the absence of paper to be refed or forbids the paper feeding operation by the refeeder until the detector detects the absence of paper to be refed after the paper has been accommodated in the intermediate container.

Abstract: A contact charging device having a charging member including a rotatable support member and a plurality of flexible films. One end of each the films is attached to the support member, and a free end of each the films is in contact with surface of the charge-receiving member for charging the surface of a charge-receiving member.

Abstract: A roller assembly for use in an electrostatographic development apparatus to transport developer material through a development zone. The roller assembly includes end cap sections for mounting rotatably to a housing of the development apparatus, and a spincasted sleeve section interconnecting the end cap sections. The spincasted sleeve section includes an outer layer that has a series of non-radial undercuts formed thereinto for retaining developer material being transported. In order to achieve consistent precision at relatively lower costs, the sleeve section is produced by spincasting a desired quantity of filled thermoset material in a simple reusable silicone mold formed and held in a mud frame.

Abstract: A printer including a controller for controlling reproduction functions of the machine, and a user active interface. The active interface includes user actuatable control for selecting one of at least two modes of the printer for performing a desired reproduction function, and a start control for starting the printer to perform the desired function according to the selected one of the at least two modes thereof. The active interface also includes a graphic display representing each of the at least two modes for performing the desired reproduction function, and a connection to the controller for animating the graphic display in response to a user actuating an actuatable control for selecting one of the at least two modes for performing the desired function.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus for forming a color image by transferring images of different colors on a recording medium in a multi-transfer mode. The color image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units for successively forming color images of different colors according to image information, a transfer/transport unit for transporting different color images formed by the image forming units in a state that the color images are successively transferred thereon, a detecting unit for detecting patterns used for detecting an out-of-registration of the color images formed on the transfer/transport unit by the image forming units, and a correcting unit for correcting positions of the color images to be transferred on the transfer/transport unit according to data signal output from the detecting unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of making copies under either predetermined standard copy conditions or copy conditions optionally set by an operator. After the final key input, or at the completion of a copying process, a first timer is set to count a predetermined time period. When the first timer finishes counting, the copy conditions are automatically set to the standard conditions. The above apparatus is provided with a guidance mode for the purpose of explaining the method for setting the functions and copy conditions within the apparatus to an inexperienced operator. In the case where the guidance mode is set by the operator, a second timer is set to count a predetermined time period longer than the time period counted by the first timer. When the second timer finishes counting, the copy conditions are automatically set to the standard conditions.

Abstract: When a transfer is to be performed, a setting device sets a transfer voltage value VTC, which is that at which optimum transfer is obtained, as well as a transfer assuring voltage value VAC which assures transfer. A constant-current source performs constant-current control in such a manner that the transfer voltage having the set value is applied to a transfer corona discharge device so that a constant transfer current I.sub.T will flow. As a result, the transfer corona discharge device charges printing paper to a polarity opposite that of the electric charge of toner by corona discharge, thereby transferring the toner image to the paper. A voltage detector detects a voltage V.sub.T applied to the transfer corona discharge device, and a comparator compares the detected voltage V.sub.T with the transfer assuring voltage V.sub.A. If the detected voltage V.sub.T is less than the transfer assuring voltage V.sub.