Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a method of forming an image by the image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit for forming an image onto a recording medium, a supply path for supplying a recording medium to the image forming unit, a first discharge path for discharging the recording medium, a return path, connected with the first discharge path, for returning the recording medium to the image forming unit, a second discharge path, substantially parallel with the supply path, for discharging the recording medium, and a guide member movable from a first position to create the first discharge path and the return path to a second position to create the second discharge path.

Abstract: An improved seal-insert and seal for a toner hopper as used in toner cartridge assemblies for printers, copiers and facsimile machines. In one embodiment, the seal has two slotted, rectangular outer pieces joined together with slot alignment and joined by an inner layer of two-sided tape. The two-sided tape is made with a long u-shape which does not interfere with the slots in the outer pieces. The open end of the u-shaped tape configuration allows a seal to be inserted or removed from between the outer pieces to close or open the slots. The seal-insert is applied over the passage from the toner hopper. The outer pieces are made from an antistatic and/or a conductive material, such as an aluminum laminate or plastic impregnated with conductive particles. Alternately, the outer pieces may be made from plastic covered with an antistatic and/or conductive spray or coating.

Abstract: A liquid electrophotographic developing apparatus including a developing unit and a plurality of air transport members. The developing unit has an elongated opening disposed adjacent to a moving image-bearing surface of a photoreceptor, and it is used for converting an electrostatic latent image into a toner image. Electrodes formed within the elongated opening provide an electric field to charge toner particles in a liquid developer. The air transport members are provided around the elongated opening of the developing unit, and airflow therein has a predetermined air pressure to transport unused developer away from the image-bearing surface while permitting toner particles in the liquid developer deposited on the image-bearing surface to be retained by the image-bearing surface.

Abstract: An apparatus including a development agent carrying member, a toner container having an opening, an initial development agent container, a flexible member, and a stopper. The flexible member rotates to cyclically transfer toner to the carrying member via the opening. The stopper locates the flexible member at a closed position where the opening is closed. The flexible member is initially located at the closed position and releases the opening when the development agent is present on a surface of the carrying member facing the opening. A method of image forming is provided that includes sealing the opening by engaging the flexible member with the stopper, filling the toner container, supplying a development agent to the carrying member at a surface of the development agent facing the opening, and releasing the opening to start supplying the toner to the carrying member through the opening by rotation of the flexible member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units having a developer, a charger, and a photosensitive member; a carriage for retaining the plurality of image forming units so that they can be removed and installed, and which rotates the plurality of image forming units between an image forming position and other positions; a laser exposing device for exposing the photosensitive member at an image forming position; an intermediate transfer belt for accepting a toner image formed on the photosensitive member at the image forming position, and forming a color image; an output shaft for coupling with at least one axis end portion of the photosensitive member in the image forming position in the axial direction of the photosensitive member, and positioning the photosensitive member at a proper position; a rotation stop portion for positioning the rotation orientation of the image forming units with respect to the axis of the photosensitive members; and a retransfer roller for transferring the

Abstract: A developing apparatus in which a developer is prevented from attaching to a developer electrifying member. The developing apparatus has a developer carrying body, a regulating member, and a developer carrying member, wherein during a period when developing action is not conducted by the developer carrying body and residual developer is being cleaned, there is a first period during which a first electric field is formed in a direction in which the developer normally charged moves from the developer carrying body to the developer charging member and after the first period there is a second period during which a second electric field is formed in a direction in which the developer normally charged moves from the developer charging member to the developer carrying body.

Abstract: A developer container having a gear transmission mechanism coupled between a mixer, which is mounted inside the container body of the developer container to mix developer, and a propelling screw, which is mounted in a developer supply trough at a bottom side of the developer container and adapted to propel developer out of the developer container and the developer supply trough, for enabling the mixer to be rotated to mix developer upon rotary motion of the propelling screw to propel developer out of the developer supply trough.

Abstract: A method and system for forming electrophotographic images by forming on a transfer belt color toner images of, e.g., the colors of transparent, yellow, magenta, cyan and black in that order from the side of the belt. When the toner images are brought into contact under pressure with, and then transferred to, a recording medium, e.g. a copy sheet, the image on the sheet is obtained with the order of the layers reversed with the transparent toner layer as the uppermost. With the use of transparent toners having relatively large particle size to cover a plurality of underlying color toner layers formed beforehand, the efficiency in image fixing is considerably improved. In addition, by using UV curing resin as the carrier and by forming a film from the carrier itself through the curing steps by UV beam irradiation, the image fixing and surface glossiness are much improved in the electrophotographic color image formation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a charge member contacted to the image bearing member for electrically charging the image bearing member. An oscillating voltage including an AC voltage component is applied to the charge member. A first detector detects an AC current applied to the charge member and a second detector detects the AC current corresponding to a peak or a neighborhood of the peak of the AC voltage. A controller effects control such that current detected by the second detector is a predetermined level when the current detected by the first detector is within a predetermined range, and such that current detected by the first detector is a predetermined level when the current detected by the first detector is outside the predetermined range.

Abstract: A developer container for containing a developer includes: (a) a first detecting member which is an electrode member having a pair of input-side and output-side electrodes formed in parallel and in one plane at a predetermined interval for detecting capacitance between the electrodes and which has a measurement-side electrode that is in contact with the developer and a reference electrode that is out of contact with the developer; (b) a developer removing member for removing any developer adhering to a detection region of the first detecting member; and (c) a second detecting member formed of a conductive material for detecting capacitance between the second detecting member and a developer bearing member, wherein a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus first detects the developer amount partway from the start of use of the developer container on the basis of detection information from the first detecting member, and then detects the developer amount on the basis of detection information

Abstract: A process is proposed for the double-sided printing and/or coating of a substrate using at least one liquid or dry toner that has at least one polymer. It is provided that at least one toner layer or a first image that has at least one toner layer is transferred onto a first side of the substrate. Then, the toner is heated up to at least its glass transformation temperature, and fixed onto the substrate. In the process, the original glass transformation point of the toner shifts to a higher temperature level as a result of the cross-linking of its polymer chains, and the viscosity is increased. In a second processing step, at least one toner layer or a second image is transferred onto the second side of the substrate and heated up to a temperature that is equal to or greater than its glass transformation temperature.

Abstract: A user interface for use in an image processing apparatus accepts and reserves a job request from a user. The user interface includes an input operation screen composed of a touch panel and allows a new job input operation while indicating a status of a precedent job in progress. Thereby, a user, who is inputting a new job request, can notice a problem occurring during an operation of the precedent job and take an appropriate countermeasure without waiting until the precedent job is completed.

Abstract: A photoreceptor cleaning brush for an electrostatographic imaging apparatus contains individual fibers provided with a finishing agent that is a water-miscible aliphatic organic compound containing a plurality of alcoholic hydroxy substituents. The finishing agent is selected from the group of compounds having a molecular weight of up to about 250 and polyethylene glycols having a number-average molecular weight of about 1000 to about 200,000. In an electrostatographic imaging apparatus, the photoconductive imaging element includes the described photoreceptor cleaning brush and a photoconductive surface portion that contains a polycarbonate binder resin. The cleaning brush removes toner from the photoconductive surface portion of the element without damaging it.

Abstract: A mechanism for cleaning the surface of an operative element of a reproduction apparatus. The cleaning mechanism includes an elongated web of cleaning cloth material. A first support provides a supply of the elongated web of cleaning cloth material, and a second support provides a take-up for the elongated web of cleaning cloth material. A motor is operatively coupled to the second support to drive the second support for selectively advancing of the elongated web of cleaning cloth material from the first support to the second support to provide a clean portion of the elongated web of cleaning cloth material to clean the operative element. An encoder, associated with the motor, produces a string of pulses while the motor is operative to drive the second support. A logic and control unit produces a signal for turning the motor on for a period of time establishing a web advancement cycle where a given predetermined number of pulses in a pulse string are produced by the encoder.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a charging device for charging the image bearing member. An electrostatic image forming device selectively removes charges on the image bearing member charged by the charging device to form an electrostatic image. A developing device develops the electrostatic image with toner as a toner image. The toner image on the image bearing member is transferred by a transfer device onto a transfer material. The charging device temporarily collects residual toner after transferring the toner image. A return bias applying device applies a return bias for returning the toner collected in the charging device to the image bearing member in a nonimage forming period. The length of a return bias applying time period of the return bias applying device is variably controlled by a controller.

Abstract: A consumable order assistance system for a computer peripheral device includes a computer peripheral device, a personal computer, a user interface, and a communication link. The computer peripheral device has a consumable requiring periodic replenishment. The personal computer is signal coupled with the peripheral device. The user interface is provided on one of the computer peripheral device and the personal computer, and is operative to notify a user of a state of the consumable. The communication link signal couples the personal computer with a provider of the consumable for the peripheral device. The personal computer is operative to monitor the computer peripheral device to determine the state of the consumable, and to notify a user via the user interface of a need to replenish the consumable. A method for replacing consumables is also provided.

Abstract: A heater control apparatus is provided for controlling a plurality of heaters used for fixing operations of an image forming apparatus, wherein each of the heaters is incorporated inside one of a plurality of rollers. The heater control apparatus includes: a plurality of switching elements to switch flowing paths of electronic currents supplied to the heaters from a common power source; a switching control section to control the switching elements so that a connecting mode of the heaters is changeable between a serial connection mode and a parallel connection mode; and a plurality of temperature detecting devices to detect temperatures of the rollers heated by the heaters, each of the temperature detecting devices corresponding to each of the rollers. The switching control section controls the switching elements so as to change the connecting mode of the heaters according to temperature conditions of the rollers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus provided with an image forming portion for forming an image by a developer, a bearing and conveying member capable of bearing thereon and conveying a transfer material on which the developer image is formed, or the developer image directly transferred thereto, and a cleaning portion for cleaning the bearing and conveying member, the cleaning portion has a cleaning blade abutting against the bearing and conveying member, and a holding member holding the cleaning blade and swingable about a rotary shaft, wherein the angle formed by a tangential line on the abutting portion of the cleaning blade against the bearing and conveying member with a line connecting the center of the rotary shaft and the abutting portion is designed to be equal to or greater than 0° and equal to or smaller than 15°, and the abrasion wear of the surface of the bearing and conveying member when in use of the apparatus, the bearing and conveying member has made 10,000 revolutions is designed to be equal t

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus carries out scan exposure with illumination flux of slit(s) by moving a mask and a substrate in a direction of one-dimension at synchronized speeds with each other. The mask is inclined with a predetermined angle relative to the substrate in the direction of one-dimensional movement. The substrate is also moved in a direction of optical axis of projection optical system when moved in the direction of one-dimension, such that a central part of transfer area on the substrate is located on a best focal plane of projection optical system upon scan exposure.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus carries out scan exposure with illumination flux of slit(s) by moving a mask and a substrate in a direction of one-dimension at synchronized speeds with each other. The mask is inclined with a predetermined angle relative to the substrate in the direction of one-dimensional movement. The substrate is also moved in a direction of optical axis of projection optical system when moved in the direction of one-dimension, such that a central part of transfer area on the substrate is located on a best focal plane of projection optical system upon scan exposure.