Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a developing device operable with toner or single component type developer has a hard first developing roller and a soft second developing roller. Fine magnetic N-S poles are formed on the periphery of the first roller. The second roller conveys the toner, electrostatically transferred thereto from the first roller, to an image carrier. The device frees a toner image from deterioration due to toner particles charged to a polarity opposite to an expected polarity. The toner forms a uniform thin layer on the first roller and is uniformly charged. Toner for use with this type of developing device is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a scanning type exposure apparatus for exposing an entire surface of a pattern region on a mask to a substrate by scanning the mask and the substrate with respect to a projection optical system in a predetermined direction with a speed ratio in accordance with a magnification of the projection optical system, there are provided a plurality of illumination optical systems for illuminating respective areas of the pattern region on the mask with respective light fluxes from respective light source; a plurality of projection optical systems arranged so as to correspond to the respective illumination optical systems, the projection optical systems projecting respective images of the areas illuminated by the respective illumination optical systems onto respective projection areas on the substrate; a memory device for obtaining and storing a change of shape of the substrate; a magnification changing device for changing a magnification of at least one of the projection optical systems in accordance with the change

Abstract: An An apparatus for confining toner within a toner hopper aperture flange of a cartridge. The apparatus contains a frame which has a rigid plastic core, a first vertical end, and a second vertical end; the rigid plastic core has a central section with a rectangular slot disposed therein.Adhesive material is located on each side of the plastic core. A strip is disposed over the central section of the frame and is adhesively joined to the frame. The strip has an end which extends over an end of the frame with enough length to fold back over the front of the frame and exit through the side of a cartridge, whereby the strip can be grasped and pulled out of the cartridge.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing apparatus comprising a heat body heated by a heater and adapted to convey a recording sheet, temperature detection means for detecting a temperature of the heat body, energization control means for controlling energization of the heater in such a manner that a detection temperature detected by the temperature detection means is maintained to a set temperature, and selection means for selecting either extension of a sheet feed interval or temporary interruption of a fixing operation, when the detection temperature detected by the temperature detection means exceeds a predetermined fixing mode change temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pattern forming method including the steps of preparing second grating stripes disposed near a reticle having a mask pattern to be projected, modulating the mask pattern by emission of a light, and demodulating the modulated mask pattern by first grating stripes formed within a photosensitive film made of a material capable of reversibly inducing photochemical reaction, thereby forming the modulated image of the mask pattern within a resist film disposed under the photosensitive film. With this method, various kinds of fine patterns each being smaller than the resolution limit of a projection exposure tool used are formed.

Abstract: Photographic films, such as X-rays, are duplicated by exposing an unexposed copy film in the presence of an intimately overlying developed film to be copied. The device exposure station has a pair of rollers at the entrance to drive the film pair and to remove from the interface between the films trapped air that would compromise the accuracy of resolution and contrast of the copy. Another pair of rollers at the outlet from the exposure station cooperates with the roller pair at the exposure station inlet to maintain the film pair within the exposure station in a planar orientation to avoid curvature which is another principal source of compromised resolution in film copies.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to reduce the apparatus scale by simplifying the arrangement of an image reading apparatus for radiating light including both visible and non-visible components, and detecting light obtained from a predetermined image, and provides an image reading apparatus which has illumination means for simultaneously radiating both light including a visible component and light including a non-visible component, and detection means for detecting light obtained from a predetermined image in accordance with the light radiated from the illumination means, including filter means which can be switched in accordance with whether the visible or non-visible component is radiated from the illumination means onto the predetermined image, and control means for controlling a switching operation of the filter means.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus wherein a plurality of toner images having different colors from each other are successively formed on an image carrier, and the plurality of toner images formed on the image carrier are transferred to a transfer member carried on a transfer member carrier in such a condition that the plural toner images are successively overlapped with each other to thereby form an image, characterized in that the image forming apparatus comprises a pawl-shaped stripping member for stripping the transfer member from the transfer member carrier while being made in contact with a surface of the transfer member carrier at a predetermined timing; a volume electric resistance value of at least a portion of the pawl-shaped stripping member, which is made in contact with the transfer member, is selected to be greater than, or equal to 10 .OMEGA..cm, and smaller than, or equal to 10.sup.7 .OMEGA..cm; otherwise a surface electric resistance value thereof is selected to be greater than, or equal to 10 .

Abstract: A plurality of electrostatic recording units (Y, C, M and B) are arranged in series along a recording medium moving path. Each electrostatic recording unit includes an electrostatic latent image carrier (48), a developing unit (54, 54') arranged on the upstream side of the electrostatic latent image carrier, and a cleaning unit (60) arranged on the downstream side. The developing unit includes a developer holding container (66) having a developer storage portion (70) and a developer agitating portion (76) located above the developer storage portion. The developer agitating portion is communicated with the developer storage portion via a communicating path (82). The cleaning unit (60) of one of the adjacent electrostatic recording units is disposed adjacent to the developer storage portion (70) of the developer holding container (66) composing a portion of the developing unit (54, 54') of the other electrostatic recording unit.

Abstract: Residual toner is removed from a belt-type paper support by means of a brush roll and blade. The removed toner is guided to a waste toner storage vessel by means of a screw member. A sensor indicates when the toner storage vessel is full.

Abstract: A film carrier of a photographic printer which is designed so that trimming for each frame can be made by a simple manual operation, and the trimming position can be readily confirmed, and that the photographic film and the film carrier can be readily returned to the original center position. The film carrier has a pair of upper and lower masks (32 and 20) for holding a photographic film (50) to be printed therebetween. The film carrier further has a film guide groove (23) for guiding the photographic film (50) to a position where it is to be held between the lower mask (20) supported by a lower mask support frame (1) and the upper mask (32) supported by an upper mask support frame (2), and a screw mechanism (6 and 7) for moving the upper mask (32) relative to the lower mask (20), which is secured to the photographic printer, in a direction perpendicular to the film feed direction in the film plane, together with the film guide groove (23). The screw mechanism (6 and 7) is provided with a click mechanism.

Abstract: A toner container comprises a toner storage section for providing a developer unit with a supply of toner, and a residual toner collect section integrally formed with the toner storage section and adapted to collect residual toner after an image has been developed. The present invention is intended to facilitate positioning, loading and unloading of the toner container, and also enable the toner to be smoothly supplied without being scattered from the toner container.The toner storage section includes a longitudinally extending rotary shaft and a resiliently deformable blade mounted to the rotary shaft. The toner storage section has a bottom, a first side wall, and the other or second side wall. A portion of the blade at a location corresponding to the first side wall is curved larger than a portion of the blade at a location corresponding to the second side wall.

Abstract: A developer station for an electrophotographic printing or copying machine has a developer chamber (12), a mixing chamber (13) and a developer-station sump (14) connected to the two chambers. Two developer-mixture circuits are produced in the developer station, namely a developer-mixture circuit for receiving fresh toner and a developer-mixture circuit for the actual development in a developer gap (18). A paddle roller (37) arranged in the developer-station sump (14) generates, in the outlet region of the mixing chamber (13), a mixture vortex which is enriched with fresh toner and from which developer mixture is extracted continuously for the development process. The mixture vortex serves essentially as a buffer store for compensating a high toner requirement during development and, in conjunction with the mixing chamber (13), for the triboelectric activation of the developer mixture.

Abstract: A device for copying photographic masters onto photographic copy material, the device including a masters stage on which the master is conveyed to a measuring station where it is impacted with light and measured. Subsequently, copying light quantities required for exposure are determined from this measurement. After the measuring station, in the direction of conveyance, there is an exposure station, where the master is impacted with the determined copying light quantities and copied onto copy material. The device further includes a transmission measuring system and a reflection measuring system for measuring test masters or test copies. The transmission measuring system and the reflection measuring system are integrated, structurally speaking, in an area of the masters stage on which the master is conveyed, measured and copied onto the copy material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a contact charging member which contacts a surface of an image carrier member in order to charge the surface of the image carrier member, and a cleaning member which contacts and slides on a surface of the contact charging member in order to clean the surface of the contact charging member. The image forming apparatus performs a function in such a way that after an electrostatic latent image is produced on the image carrier member which is in a charged state, toner powder is supplied to the image carrier member by a developing device in order to make the electrostatic latent image visible and then a visualized image is transferred to a transfer member. In the image forming apparatus, a maximum height of concavities and convexities formed on the surface of the contact charging member is equal to or less than an average particle diameter of the toner powder supplied by the developing device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus outputs an operation setting paper sheet (Op-sheet) having printed thereon an operation setting image (template) stored in a data ROM upon operating an operation setting paper sheet output key (OPS key). The image forming apparatus reads the operation setting image on the operation setting paper sheet by a scanner, and sets an operational mode according to selection items in the read image, thereby performing an image forming operation according to the operational mode. By producing a print output of the operation setting image, the operation setting paper sheet in the original form without having a deterioration of the image quality or displacement can be provided with the unique image quality of this image forming apparatus which enables the image to be surely read by the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: High efficiency transfer of liquid toner image from an photoconductor onto an image receiver (e.g., plain paper, transparency film, and the like) using a simple and direct, one-step process, is provided. The transfer is effected using a hard (non-conformable) substrate, at least one conformable intermediate mat, the photoconductor having a release surface comprising a siloxane, the image receiver, a roller, and a source of heat and pressure. One conformable layer may be employed, resulting in two possibilities. In the first possibility, the roller comprises the source of heat and pressure and the conformable layer supports the photoconductor layer. A non-conformable layer supports the conformable layer. In the second possibility, the source of heat and pressure is on that surface of the photoconductor opposite that on which the toner image is carried and the conformable layer is positioned between the roller and the image receiver.

Abstract: A contact charging member is used in a charging device for charging an image carrier by contacting the contact charging member to which a voltage is impressed with the image carrier. The contact charging member has at least a supporting member and a coating member. The coating member is a seamless tube consisting of a resin blend of a flexible resin and a heat resistant resin.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming a latent image on a photosensitive member, developing the latent image by a developing device to transfer the developed image onto a recording paper, and cleaning residual toner on the photosensitive member after transferring by the developer. The photosensitive member has a hardness such that a conical diamond produces on a surface of the photosensitive member a scratch of 30 .mu.m or greater but no more than 180 .mu.m in width, when the diamond scratches the surface of the photosensitive member under a vertical load of 50 g and relative speed of 100 mm/min, the diamond having a conical angle of 120.degree. and hemisphere shaped leading edge with a radius of 0.2 mm. The image forming apparatus further includes at least one rotational brush provided in contact with the photosensitive member under the conditions of :100 mm.gtoreq.W.times..vertline.Vr-Vp.vertline./Vp.gtoreq.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for identifying cleaner retraction timing faults in an electrostatographic printer. A toner image or patch is developed on the photoreceptor during the non-printing mode of the printer. After cleaning by a retractable cleaner, the portion of the image or patch not cleaned is measured and compared to a predetermined length in order to determine cleaner retracting timing faults in the cleaner subsystem.