Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a detachable imaging cartridge which includes a photosensitive member charged by a charge brush having brush fibers. At least one of the photosensitive member and the charging brush is detachable from the imaging cartridge, and the detachable one is attached to the imaging cartridge through a guide member so that the brush fibers of the charge brush are indented toward a downstream side relative to a predetermined position of the charge brush with respect to the rotational direction of the photosensitive member.

Abstract: The invention minimizes openings or cracks near the position at which a solder tail of a lead frame extends through a wall of a case molded about the lead frame and through which wall the solder tail extends, so as to prevent leakage through the wall near the solder tail. To accomplish this, a double-bend is formed in the solder tail before encapsulation of the lead frame. The double-bend comprises a first downward right-angle bend just outside the case wall, and an adjacent distally-spaced opposite bend such that the distal end portion of the solder tail extends substantially parallel to the plane of the lead frame. Subsequently, an anvil is positioned to support the portion of the lead tail between the case wall and the first downward bend in the solder tail, while a forming tool forces the distal end portion of the soldering tail downward to the desired final position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image formation processing unit for forming an image of an original according to information carried by light reflected from the original. A plurality of paper feed cassettes are provided to accommodate plural kinds of output papers having different sizes or having longitudinal and transverse feed directions for papers of the same size. A selected one of the output papers is supplied from the selected paper feed cassette to the image formation processing unit, and the image of the original is thereafter formed on the selected output paper. At least two kinds of the output papers can be preliminarily selected, and simultaneously an enlarging or reducing magnification can be selected.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus for forming a color image comprising; an image retainer for carrying the color image, a charger for charging a surface of the image retainer, a latent image former for forming a latent image on the charged surface of the image retainer, a multicolor developer for developing the latent image, a black developer for developing the latent image, a transfer sheet conveyer for conveying a transfer sheet and transferring the developed latent image onto the transfer sheet, and a cleaner for cleaning a residual developer on the surface of the image retainer, in which the image retainer, either one of the black developer or the multicolor developer, and the cleaning means are formed as a detachable processing cartridge, and the rest of the black developer or the multicolor developer is detachable to the body of the color image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a feed member for performing a fixing operation by grasping and feeding a supporting material supporting an undeveloped toner image. The feed member is made of a conductive base material and a surface release layer provided thereon, the surface release layer containing a conductive material. A biasing voltage is applied to the conductive base material.

Abstract: A thermal toner image fixing device thermally fuses and fixes a toner image to a sheet of paper. The thermal toner image fixing device has a sensor for detecting the surface reflectance of the sheet, a sensor for detecting the electric resistance of the sheet, and a sensor for detecting the ambient temperature. A temperature threshold level for a thermal fixing roller of the thermal toner image fixing device is determined according to fuzzy logic operations based on the detected surface temperature, the detected resistance, and the detected ambient temperature, and also control rules stored in a memory.

Abstract: This invention relates to a fixing device with a heat rotatory body heated by a heating source having a surface layer of a silicone rubber; a back-up rotatory body which is in pressure contact with the heated rotatory body; an oil feeding apparatus which feeds silicone oil to the heated rotatory surface; the pair of rotatory bodies performing fixing while conveying the supporting material having unfixed images supported thereon sandwiched therebetween; and the feeding oil being a phenyl type silicone oil and the silicone rubber surface being impregnated with dimethylsilicone oil.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine in which an electrostatic latent image is recorded on a moving photoconductive surface by charging the appropriate areas of the surface to predetermined polarities. The latent image is a developed in a development zone with toners of a preselected color and predetermined polarity which are delivered by magnetic bead carriers. A bead removal device is provided adjacent the surface and downstream from the development zone relative to the movement of the surface. The bead removal device magnetically attracts carrier beads off the photoconductive surface. The beads are then deposited in a sump. A vacuum source is also provided for urging beads into the sump from the surface. The bead removal device comprising a sleeve mounted for rotation in a housing, adjacent the surface. The sleeve has a fixed magnet disposed proximate the surface therein and a shunt disposed generally opposite the magnet to define an attraction zone and a release zone.

Abstract: A transformer or inductor bobbin (2) having pins (24) of a rectangular cross-section with complementarily profiled ends (24A, 24B), of which one (24A) is tapered and the other (24B) has a recess (24E). The rectangular cross-section allows the pins to offer greater resistance to bending in the direction of their cross-section's greater dimension (for pulling winding wire from the pins), while offering easier bending in the direction of their cross-section's greater dimension (for clinching to a printed circuit board). The use of pins having complementary profiles at their opposite ends allows the pins to be separated simply and efficiently from a length of material with no material wastage, and the provision of a taper at one end of a pin and a recess at the other end allows easy insertion of the tapered end into a pre-formed printed circuit board hole while the recessed end provides for collection of scraped material during pin insertion into an undersized hole (22) in the bobbin.

Abstract: After a transferring process, a first predetermined voltage is applied to a transfer unit to charge a photosensitive drum surface to a first predetermined constant voltage. At the same time, a memory removing member is grounded. Therefore, a voltage difference is produced between the transfer unit and the memory removing member. This voltage difference causes the toner remaining on the memory removing member to be transferred to the photosensitive drum. In other words, the toner remaining on the memory removing member is redeveloped on the photosensitive drum whereby the cleaning of the memory removing member is conducted. Here, the memory removing member is a device for removing the toner from the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an original feeder for feeding an original to an exposure position, a first detector provided in an original feed path of the original feeder for detecting a density of the original being fed, an exposure unit for exposing the original at the exposure position, a second detector provided at the exposure unit for detecting a density of the original at the exposure position, and a control unit for controlling processing conditions for an image on the original exposed by the exposure unit according to at least one output from the first detector and the second detector.

Abstract: A hollow component has a base and includes at least two electrical contacts mounted within the base. Each of the contacts has a first portion which projects exteriorly of the base and a second portion which projects interiorly of the base. The second portions each include a tine for receiving a fragile, planar article such as a thin, ceramic printed circuit board thereon. Shock-absorbing means are integrally formed with the contacts and are positioned intermediate the tines and the base. The shock-absorbing means can be in the form of a horizontal U-shaped bight.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image formation method and the apparatus thereof. An electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive body is developed with toner, and the developed toner image is electrostatically transferred onto a recording sheet held on a transfer drum; in repeating the process a plurality of images are formed on the recording sheet. The electric charge on the transfer drum is increased by repeating the electrostatic transfer of the toner image, which can cause a trouble; therefore each time an image formation is completed, the charge on the transfer drum is removed. When a part of the recording sheet held on the transfer body on which the toner image is previously formed faces the photosensitive body, the transfer body is controlled to be apart from the photosensitive drum not to disarrange the image which is previously formed on the recording sheet.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine in which an electrostatic latent image is recorded on a photoconductive surface by charging the appropriate areas of the surface to predetermined polarities. The latent image is a developed with toners of a preselected color and predetermined polarity by a developer unit. The developer unit includes a bead removal device which magnetically attracts carrier beads off the photoconductive surface and deposits these beads in a sump or reservoir of developer. The bead removal device includes a magnet and magnetic field shapers to enhance the magnetic fields which attract the beads in the zone between the surface and the bead removal device and attenuates the magnetic fields in the zone between the bead removal device and the sump or reservoir to reduce the attraction between the beads and the bead removal device in this zone.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fixing device comprising a heater which is formed of a heating element produced by dispersing particles of ceramic having a negative resistance-temperature coefficient into a binding member. The heater is formed by mounting a heat-shrinkable tubing on the heating element. A heating temperature of the heater is adjusted based on the thickness of the heat-shrinkable tubing. In addition, the heating element is covered by the heat-shrinkable tubing so as to reduce its high surface roughness.

Abstract: A registration system for copy sheets uses a pair of drive rolls and a drive system for commonly driving both drive rolls. A differential drive mechanism is provided for changing the relative angular position of one of the rolls with respect to the other roll to deskew the copy sheet. A control system is supplied with inputs representative of the skew of the copy sheet and controls the differential drive mechanism to deskew the copy sheet. The system offers enhanced performance and reduced cost.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a device for forming an image on the image bearing member; a transfer device for transferring the image from the image bearing member onto a recording material, the transfer device is in the form of a roller contactable to the image bearing member in its longitudinal direction; and a guiding member for guiding the recording material to a neighborhood of the image bearing member; wherein a positional relationship between the transfer device and the guide member is fixed, and wherein the transfer device is swingable toward and away from the image bearing member.

Abstract: A high-speed printing device is provided with a particle trap (30), arranged in the paper channel in the paper transport direction upstream of the printing area (15, 49), for intercepting particles, i.e. paper clips, entrained with he recording carrier (12). The particle trap has a passage slot (95), which is dimensioned to correspond to the size of the particles to be intercepted, for the recording carrier (12).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a peripheral surface of an image carrying drum and transferring the toner image onto a recording paper. The image forming apparatus comprises a conveyor to convey the recording paper, a register roller to feed the same to the conveyor, transfer unit for transfering the toner image and a pre-charging unit for charging the recording paper before the transferring. A controller of the image forming apparatus controls operation timings of the above units of the image forming apparatus and forms a blank area in the leading portion of the recording paper where no image is formed and no transfer operation is performed to the recording paper by the transfer unit.

Abstract: A toner sealing material for use in a toner cartridge of an electrophotographic image formation apparatus is disclosed. The toner sealing material comprises an elastic layer which is in contact with the cartridge via an adhesive layer and a tetrafluoroethylene resin porous layer having a thickness of at least 0.2 mm which is laminated on the elastic layer via an adhesive layer and is in contact with a developing roller fixed to the cartridge. With the sealing material, a toner can be prevented from leaking from a toner cartridge for an extended period of time.