Abstract: A roller mechanism for separating paper has a fusing roller, a following roller, and at least two paper-separating rings. The fusing roller is formed with at least two annular grooves on a periphery thereof. The two paper-separating rings are respectively mounted in the annular grooves correspondingly. The following roller is contiguous to the fusing roller for heating a paper therebetween and transporting out the paper smoothly.

Abstract: A digital printing or copying machine (1) is proposed for the one-sided or double-sided printing onto a substrate (5), using at least one toner. The machine (1) includes at least one fixation device (3) for fixing the toner image on the substrate (5). The fixation device (3) has at least one heating device (13) for melting the toner image, past which the substrate (5) can be taken. The machine (1) is distinguished by a guide device (17) for the free floating movement of the substrate (5) in the effective range of the heating device (13).

Abstract: Handling a printing medium in a microwave fuser mechanism of a printing machine so as to prevent damages and disruptions that can occur because of the presence of condensed water. The invention is achieved by removing moisture from the microwave mechanism and by, at least, supporting conveyance of the printing medium by flowing air, and also by preventing moisture from being conveyed into other parts of the microwave mechanism.

Abstract: A fixer (heater) includes a heat roller and a pressure roller pressing each other. The fixer heats a heated material by passing the heated material through a press region where the heat roller and the pressure roller meet. The fixer further includes an external heat roller heating the pressure roller from outside the pressure roller. A transit time taken for any given point on the heated material to pass through the press region is less than or equal to 2.3×10?2 sec. The surface temperature, T1 (° C.), of the heat roller and the surface temperature, T2 (° C.), of the pressure roller satisfy T1?T2?100 (° C.), and preferably satisfy T1?T2?70 (° C.). The load on the heat roller is reduced, and so is the power consumption.

Abstract: There is provided a fusing system. The fusing system includes a fuser roller, a pressure roller arranged parallel to the fuser roller for providing pressure to a medium passing between the fuser roller and the pressure roller, and a heater external to the fuser roller and applying heat to the fuser roller when the heater is operated to apply heat. The fusing system also includes a control mechanism that the controls the heater to reduce heat provided by the heater when the temperature of the heater is determined to be above a predetermined maximum heater temperature.

Abstract: Regulatory member having a groove formed therein is provided at area where toner storage chamber and toner stirring chamber are in communication with each other. A quantity of toner supplied from toner storage chamber to toner stirring chamber is regulated by rotating regulatory member. Groove is formed in regulatory member.

Abstract: A toner consumption measuring apparatus having an effective signal generating unit to receive inputs of printing data and a video clock signal to synchronize the printing data and to generate a count effective signal, a counting unit to count the generated count effective signal and to calculate a number of pixels of the printing data, a coefficient memory to store at least a toner consumption coefficient of a unit of pixel ‘K’ which is set in advance, and a printer control unit to determine an image pattern compensation coefficient by using the differences of numbers of the pixels of adjacent lines of a page in printing of every page, and calculating a toner consumption with applying a proper weight in accordance with the determined image pattern compensation coefficient.

Abstract: An oxidation catalyst device is provided with a duct, a fan, a heater, an oxidation catalyst carrying element, and a heat-radiating duct. The duct is connected to a fixation device of the wet-type electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The fan, the heater and the oxidation catalyst carrying element are provided in the duct. The heat-radiating duct is installed to surround the duct and an airflow passage is formed between the outer wall of the duct and the inner wall of the heat-radiating duct.

Abstract: Disclosed is a developing unit of a wet electrophotographic printer, which has a photoconductive drum, a developing roller for transferring a developer onto the photoconductive drum, a cartridge for storing a developer therein, a developer guide disposed at a predetermined distance away from an inner wall of the cartridge, and having a developer supplying path defined therein to guide the developer in the cartridge to the developing roller, and a developer pumping means disposed in the cartridge to pump up the developer in the cartridge toward the developing roller.

Abstract: A developer container storing a developer of the present invention includes a developer outlet formed in the side wall thereof, and a shutter member for selectively opening or closing the developer outlet. The shutter member opens the developer outlet when the developer container is mounted to the body of an image forming apparatus or closes it when the former is dismounted from the latter. The toner container with this configuration surely prevents the developer from leaking when the developer container is dismounted from an image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The main assembly includes an output contact movable between electrical connecting and retracting positions, a displaceable member for moving the output contact, and an elastic member for elastically urging the displaceable member to urge the output contact toward the retracted position. The process cartridge includes a drum, a process device actable on the drum, an operating member, a movable operation member operable by the operating member, after mounting the cartridge to the main assembly, to move the displaceable member, in interrelation with which the output contact is moved from the retracted to the electrical connection position against an elastic force of the elastic member, and an input electrical contact for receiving a voltage enabling the process device by engagement with the output contact moved to the electrical connecting position.

Abstract: A toner replenishment device has: a toner reservoir section for supplying a toner to a development device; a supply fluid conveyance section for conveying a fluid mixture of toner and air from the toner reservoir section through a supply conveying path; a toner separation section for separating the fluid mixture which has been conveyed by the supply fluid conveyance section into the toner and the air and supplying the toner to the development device; a circulation fluid conveyance section for circulating at least air separated from the fluid mixture, from the toner separation section to the toner reservoir section through a circulation conveyance path; and a capacity variable member connected with the supply conveying path or the circulation conveyance path, capable of absorbing a pressure fluctuation of the fluid mixture or the air by varying a capacity of the member.

Abstract: A CPU 113 executes a control program stored in a memory 116, whereby a patch image is formed on a photosensitive member of a photosensitive member unit 10, a light emitter 171 irradiates light upon the patch image, a light receiver 172 receives light from the patch image, whether a received-light signal from the light receiver 172 is within a tolerable range is determined, and an image forming condition is controlled and stored in the memory 116 when the received-light signal is outside the tolerable range. Upon entry of a print instruction signal from an external apparatus via a main controller 100, a printing operation is executed under the image forming condition stored in the memory 116.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the force of a tension spring returning to its original position is utilized to vibrate or impact a conductive member using a predetermined timing, one end of the conductive member being fixed and the other end of the conductive member being connected to a knob via a tension spring. This serves to remove attachments adhering to the tips of the conductive member.

Abstract: A fuser mechanism in an electrophotographic apparatus is disclosed. The fuser mechanism includes a first roller, a second roller, two elastic units, two adjusting devices, and a driving device. The first roller is rotatably and movably disposed in the electrophotographic apparatus. The second roller is rotatably disposed in the electrophotographic apparatus. The second roller is separated from the first roller with a gap for a paper passing through. Two elastic units are respectively disposed on two ends of the first roller to buffer movement of the first roller. The adjusting device is movably disposed between the first roller and the second roller. The drive device drives the adjusting device to push the first roller and adjust the gap.

Abstract: A wet type electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive medium, a light exposure device, a developing device, a transfer device, a fuser device, an oxidation catalyst device, a temperature sensor, a power supply device and a control device. The oxidation catalyst device includes an oxidation catalyst carrying body and a heater, and removes vapor of developer solution from the fuser device by utilizing oxidation decomposition. The control device receives data about the temperature detected from the temperature sensor, and variably controls the temperature of the oxidation catalyst device in accordance operational modes such as warm-up mode, standby mode and print mode. Considering the fact that the oxidation catalyst device has higher efficiency at optimum activation temperature, appropriate temperature control can guarantee increased oxidation efficiency of the oxidation catalyst device.

Abstract: A cartridge is detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus and includes a first container, which contains a developer to be supplied into the image forming apparatus and a second container, which is rotatable to feed the developer toward the discharge opening. A developer discharge opening is provided at one longitudinal end of the first container. The second container accommodates a developer collected from the image forming apparatus. The first container is rotatably supported, at the other longitudinal end thereof, by the second container, which is unrotatably engageable with the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a heat generator that has an outer surface and that generates heat by induction heating and a heater positioned close to the outer surface of the heat generator, the heater being configured to heat the heat generator by induction heating. A positioner is located close to an end of the heater, the positioner being configured to position the heater with respect to the heat generator. A vibration absorber is attached to the positioner and is configured, in one embodiment, to viscoelasticly absorb vibration of the heater produced by a vibration caused by an electromagnetic repulsive force acting between the heat generator and the heater when the heater heats the heat generator by induction heating.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a belt for sequentially transferring toner images of different colors to a sheet one above the other. A plurality of image forming units face the belt, and each includes an image carrier and a developing device and a cleaning device arranged around the image carrier. The belt is inclined such that one of opposite runs thereof adjoining the image forming units has opposite ends positioned at different levels from each other. The cleaning device of each image forming units is positioned at a higher level than the developing device.

Abstract: A part is capable of being retained in a guide for retaining a plurality of such parts in such a manner so as to stack the parts in a direction in which gravity act on the parts and supplying parts to a predetermined position. The part has a plurality of abutment portions which come into abutment with an upper-side part in the guide and support the upper-side part, and a plurality of receiving portions with which a plurality of abutment portions provided on a lower-side part in the guide are brought into abutment. The center of gravity of the part is disposed inside a region surrounded by the plurality of abutment portions. Accordingly, it is possible to convey parts to an assembly line without causing damage to the regions of the parts that are required to have dimensional precision.