Abstract: A device and method for automatically opening the cover of an ink-jet printer using a solenoid driving device, which responds to an electrical signal sent from a controller unit because the unit detected either a paper jam or that the ink cartridge is depleted. The new mechanism for automatically opening a printer cover allows the user to remove jammed paper or to replace the spent ink cartridge with greater speed and efficiency. This device has the advantages of being economical for use in ink-jet printers and employs a simple design which minimizes the need for repair and simplifies the manufacturing process.

Abstract: Described is a dynamic multi-pass print mode correction method which corrects for malfunctioning or inoperable ink ejection elements by substituting a fully functioning ink ejection element. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a printmask; identifying ink ejection elements which are malfunctioning; ascertaining potential replacement ink ejection elements from the printmask for the ejection elements which are malfunctioning; selecting replacement ink ejection elements from the potential replacement ink ejection elements; and modifying the printmask by removing the malfunctioning ink ejection elements from the printmask and replacing them with the selected replacement ink ejection elements.

Abstract: A cartridge frame used in a process cartridge, a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and such an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a charge member for charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a support member for rotatably supporting longitudinal ends of the charge member and for regulating an outward shifting movement of the charge member in a longitudinal direction. The cartridge frame includes a first mounting portion for mounting the electrophotographic photosensitive member, a second mounting portion for mounting the support member, a regulating portion for regulating a longitudinal outward shifting movement of the support member when the charge member is supported by the support member mounted on the second mounting portion, and a support portion for supporting a periphery of the regulating portion.

Abstract: A fuser apparatus 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, and a dual function air skive assembly for stripping a receiver member adhering to a fuser apparatus roller from the roller. The dual function air skive assembly includes a frame engageable with a roller of the pair of rollers of the fuser apparatus. An air plenum is supported by the frame in operative relation to the fuser roller nip. The air plenum has a first nozzle arrangement directed at an angle to the roller so as to provide a positive air flow to strip a receiver member adhering to the roller therefrom. The first nozzle arrangement has a plurality of nozzle heads respectively configured to provide a positive air flow having a substantially oval cross-section.

Abstract: There is disclosed an ink jet head comprising plural discharge energy generating elements for generating energy to be used for discharging ink droplets, ink discharge openings for discharging the ink droplets, a substrate bearing thereon an array of the plural discharge energy generating elements and an ink supply aperture consisting of a penetrating hole extending along the direction of array of the discharge energy generating elements, and an orifice plate provided with the ink discharge openings, in which the substrate and the orifice plate are mutually adjoined to define therebetween ink paths connecting the ink discharge openings and the ink supply aperture, wherein the orifice plate comprises plural projections in a position corresponding to the ink supply aperture.

Abstract: The ink jet print head includes a plurality of modules in a stacked construction or a single module. The modules are disposed in a housing. The nozzle faces of the modules protrude into associated slits of a base plate of the housing, and the modules are electrically connected to a bus adapter. The modules are pressed, by means of a spring element and a common adapter for their ink connection stubs, against an end face of the slits and against the base plate. The assembly is self-adjusting, and its accuracy depends only on the dimensional accuracy of the base plate, the spring element, and a side edge of the modules which is in effect a reference edge.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning blade urged against an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a cleaning frame to which the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a cleaning blade holding member and a dip sheet are attached, and wherein an area having a small gap is formed between an inner wall of the cleaning frame and the other end of the cleaning blade holding member opposite to one end to which the cleaning blade is attached.

Abstract: A cartridge unit is for use with a toner cartridge assembly of an image developing device. The cartridge unit has a cartridge including a toner bottle coupled with a cap assembly, where the toner bottle includes an elongate cylindrical structure which has a central axis. The cap assembly is coupled with the toner bottle and includes a mouth portion. At least one scoop is coupled within the mouth portion of the cap assembly, where the scoop is adapted for drawing developer from the toner bottle through the mouth portion as the toner bottle is rotated about the central axis.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ink acceptor comprising a sheet-like substrate and an ink accepting layer provided on at least one surface of the substrate, the ink accepting layer containing at least a cationic acrylic resin and an acrylic resin having film-forming properties. Such an ink acceptor is capable of rapidly fixing ink and obtaining a print having excellent water resistance, and is suitably used for printing by an ink-jet printing system.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cleaning device having a cleaning blade, including a toner image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a cleaning blade for frictionally removing residual toner remaining on the bearing member after a transferring process, and a device for applying vibration to the cleaning blade. Further, the vibration applied to the cleaning blade has a stead-state waveform. The vibration applying device may be a device for a vibration waveform having a frequency and an amplitude required for providing energy for obtaining a cleaning action, which vibration waveform is to be applied to the cleaning blade.

Abstract: A printer includes a developing roller and a positively charged photosensitive drum. The printer performs impression development by pressing positively charged toner at a nip portion between the photosensitive drum and the developing roller. A developing agent is formed from toner and a charge controlling agent so that a charge amount Q1 of toner on the developing roller before the toner passes through the nip portion is less than the charge amount of toner after the toner passes through the nip portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member for bearing different color toner images; a movable intermediary transfer member including an electroconductive layer and a surface layer; first transferring means for applying a voltage to the electroconductive layer to sequentially and superimposedly transfer the different color toner images from the image bearing member onto the intermediary transfer member at a first transfer position; second transferring means for electrostatically transferring the different color toner images from the intermediary transfer member on the transfer material at a second transfer position, wherein the second transferring means is disposed faced to such a side of the intermediary transfer member as receives the toner image; wherein the image forming apparatus is operable with the transfer material having a length measured in a direction of feeding of the transfer material, which is longer than a distance between the first transfer position to the second transf

Abstract: A recording unit has an illuminating device for projecting light on an original to form an original image, and an optical device which focuses the original image formed by the illuminating device. A light control plate has a slit for allowing a portion of the original image focused by the optical device to pass through. The light which passes through the slit of the light control plate is guided onto a print head which ejects ink on a recording medium when exposed to the light.

Abstract: The efficiency of a thermal ink jet printhead is improved by providing a thermally grown field oxide layer and a deposited oxide layer, the two combined layers providing thermal insulation between a resistor layer and a silicon substrate. In a preferred embodiment, zirconium diboride is sputtered in the presence of oxygen to form a thin field oxide layer on a field oxide layer grown on the surface of the silicon substrate. At a predetermined time, during the sputtering process, oxygen is removed and the sputtering continues to form a conductive ZrB.sub.2 layer. The combined thickness of the two oxide layers provides the required thermal isolation between silicon substrate and heater resistor while the thermally grown field oxide layer enables the closer packing of resistor transistor drive circuits.

Abstract: A configuration for printing striplike print carriers in a postage meter and/or addressing machine, includes contact-pressure elements secured to a revolving conveyor belt for transporting the print carriers upright and in contact with a guide plate having a printing window. The contact-pressure elements are movable resiliently toward and away from the guide plate and the print carriers are printed by an ink jet print head located behind the printing window. In order to expand a range of use, increase reliability and make it possible to selectively print not only letters but also postage strips or address labels, a strip magazine in an entrance region of the otherwise conventional print carriers, a guide part which is disposed in an insert and is initially concave and then convex in shape, and a spacer part in the printing window, which is adapted to a jet distribution, are disposed at the level of the printing window.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus for forming images which are always and stably high quality regardless of changes of ambient conditions. In the image forming apparatus, a counter electrode is disposed facing a toner holder for holding at least one color toner, to generate a potential difference between the toner holder and the counter electrode by use of various types of power supplies. Between the toner holder and the counter electrode, a counter electrode is interposed, which is provided with a plurality of gates disposed on an insulating substrate and electrode groups respectively disposed around the plurality of gates. According to the potential difference between the toner holder and the counter electrode, it is controlled whether or not the toner is caused to pass through the gates. In the image forming apparatus, a resistance value of a cleaning member is detected for removing the toner stuck on the control electrode.

Abstract: A cartridge unit is for use with a toner cartridge assembly of an image developing device. The cartridge unit has a cartridge including a toner bottle coupled with a cap assembly, where the toner bottle includes an elongate cylindrical structure which has a central axis. The cap assembly is coupled with the toner bottle and includes a mouth portion. At least one scoop is coupled within the mouth portion of the cap assembly, where the scoop is adapted for drawing developer from the toner bottle through the mouth portion as the toner bottle is rotated about the central axis.

Abstract: A developer unit for developing a latent image recorded on an image receiving member with marking particles, to form a developed image, including: a donor member spaced from the image receiving member and adapted to transport marking particles to a development zone adjacent the image receiving member; a donor voltage supply for electrically biasing said donor member, said donor voltage supply having a donor frequency at a first phase; an electrode positioned in the development zone between the image receiving member and the donor member; an electrode voltage supply for electrically biasing said electrode during a developing operation with an alternating voltage to detach marking particles from said donor member, forming a cloud of marking particles in the development zone, and developing the latent image with marking particles from the cloud, said electrode voltage supply uses frequency generation of the donor AC and wire AC modulation frequencies by integer division of the wire AC oscillator thereby minimizi

Abstract: A method for dynamically synchronizing configuration information between a printer and an attached accessory. In one embodiment, the printer firmware creates a configuration change object that is immediately incremented any time a configuration parameter is changed. The accessory periodically queries the printer to determine if the configuration change object has been incremented, and, if so, the accessory re-reads and stores the new printer configuration along with the new configuration change object. In a second embodiment, the printer sends out a notice to the accessory that the printer configuration has changed immediately after the change is made, rather than accessory periodically asking the printer if the configuration has changed.

Abstract: A color capable electrophotographic printer remains operable for monochrome printing when one or more developing unit are unavailable for use. Instead of reverting to an error state when a developing unit is missing or unavailable, the laser printer remains operable to print monochrome images or single "spot color" images using a single color and monochrome developing unit.