Abstract: This invention provides a fuser belt comprising a substrate and a coating on said substrate, said coating comprises a resin made by curing a composition comprising siloxanes having a ratio of difunctional to trifunctional units of 1:1 to 1:2.7 and at least 90% of total number of functional units in said siloxanes are difunctional and trifunctional units, a weight average molecular weight of 5,000 to 50,000 grams/mole, and an alkyl to aryl ratio of 1:0.1 to 1:1.2.

Abstract: A driving mechanism for a fixing apparatus which has an idle gear disengageable from a gear rotating a fixing roller without cooperation of an opening operation of a panel provided to the fixing apparatus. A fixing gear is connected to a fixing roller. A drive gear provides a rotational force. An idle gear is provided between the drive gear and the fixing gear to transmit the rotational force from the drive gear to the fixing gear. The idle gear is always engaged with the drive gear. A pivot member is pivotable with respect to a pivot member shaft between a first position and a second position below the first position. The idle gear is engaged with the fixing gear when the pivot member is at the first position. The idle gear is moved downwardly by gravity and thereby disengaged from the fixing gear when the pivot member is at the second position. Thus, there is no need to provide a moving mechanism to disengage the idle gear from the fixing gear.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of cutting a strip-shaped continuous sheet on which an image is formed to a desirable cutting length. A rolled-sheet is conveyed by registration rollers and the like. The rolled-sheet is further led to the vicinity of a photosensitive drum through pre-transfer rollers. The rolled-sheet to which a toner image has been transferred is subjected to toner fixing processing by a fixing device. When the leading end of the rolled-sheet reaches the pre-transfer rollers, the rotational speed of a sheet feeding motor is increased during a predetermined time. Consequently, the sheet conveying speed on the upstream side of the pre-transfer rollers in a direction of sheet conveyance is increased, thereby forming slack in a sheet portion between the registration rollers and the pre-transfer rollers. Consequently, tension exerted on a sheet portion between the fixing device and the pre-transfer rollers does not affect the conveyance of the sheet by the registration rollers.

Abstract: A developing apparatus is provided which includes a developing chamber for containing a developer, a developer-carrying member for carrying and conveying the developer to a developing region, and a developer-supplying member abutted rotatably to the developer-carrying member. The developer-supplying member has surface-modifying powder at least at its surface. The powder has substantially no chargeability or a chargeability of a polarity equal to that of the developer and a magnitude in terms of absolute value equal to or smaller than that of the developer. By application of the surface-modifying powder, the developing apparatus can obviate a partial tearing of a surface portion of the developer-supplying member which leads to image defects and an increase in drive torque at the initial drive thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a sheet both in a horizonal installation and in a vertical installation of the apparatus. The image forming apparatus is designed so that an air flow from a thermal fixing unit exerts no influence on an image forming operation of a photosensitive body and a temperature detection operation of the thermal fixing unit even when installed horizontally or vertically. This image forming apparatus therefore includes an exhaust duct for guiding a gas of an interior of the thermal fixing unit in an upper oblique direction from the thermal fixing unit to exhaust the interior Of the thermal fixing unit. The air flow from the thermal fixing unit does not therefore influence an image formation on the photosensitive body even when the apparatus is installed horizontally or vertically. This image forming apparatus also includes a temperature detector provided obliquely to a heat roller of the thermal fixing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an image, a movable recording material carrying member for carrying a recording material on a first side thereof, the recording material carrying member cooperating with the image bearing member to form a nip therebetween, a transfer charging member, to which a voltage is applicable, the transfer charging member being contactable to a second side of the recording material carrying member to transfer in the nip an image from the image bearing member onto a recording material carried on the recording material carrying member, a pushing member for pushing the second surface of the recording material carrying member at a first position of the recording material carrying member to increase a width, measured along a movement direction of the recording material carrying member, of the nip, wherein the first position is remote from a second position where the transfer charging member is contactable to the recording material carrying member.

Abstract: A copying machine having an original feeding unit for feeding originals onto a platen glass which is operable in a two-original feeding mode where two originals are placed side by side in a particular position on the platen glass, and a sheet handling unit which is operable in a binding mode where copy sheets which copied images are bound. When the two-original feeding mode is selected, a selection of the binding mode is inhibited. When the two-original feeding mode is selected after the binding mode was selected, a warning is generated to inform that the sheet handling unit becomes impossible to be operated in the binding mode. When a copying operation is started without in spite of the generation of the warning, the binding mode is canceled.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a sheet cassette installed within an insertion hole formed in a main body of the image forming system. The sheet cassette stores sheets of a printable medium that are operated upon by the image forming system. A window is formed along an outer surface of the sheet cassette to enable a user to visually detect a quantity of the sheets remaining within the sheet cassette without having to remove the sheet cassette from the insertion hole.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process unit provided detachably attachable to the apparatus; a driving source provided inside the apparatus and outside the process unit; a power transmitter to transmit a driving force from the driving source; a rotary member provided inside the process unit, the rotary member being rotated by the driving force from the driving source transmitted through the power transmitter. The apparatus further includes a detector to detect a state of rotation of the rotary member, and to output a signal corresponding to the state of rotation of the rotary member; and a judging member to judge a rotation abnormality of the rotary member on the basis of the signal output from the detector.

Abstract: A regenerating apparatus for removing a printing material from a recording medium so as to reuse the recording medium includes a container, a container for accommodating a liquid for swelling the printing material; a guide member for guiding the recording medium, part of which is arranged in the liquid; a rotatable transporting roller for transporting the recording medium along the guide member, so that the printing material on the recording medium is immersed in the liquid; a rotatable transferring roller disposed near the guide member so as to be in contact at a circumferential surface thereof with the recording medium and receive the printing material swollen by the liquid from the recording medium. The surface of the transferring roller is formed with at least one of the materials selected from polyolefin resin, polyester resin, nitrogen containing resin, sulfur containing resin, fluororesin, silicon resin, polyacetal resin, epoxy resin, polyether ether ketone resin, and phenol resin.

Abstract: The invention is applicable to a developing device with a toner hopper as toner container, which can be mounted and dismounted and includes a toner replenishment roller controlled for rotation according to a detection signal of a toner concentration sensor. A shutter capable of being rotated along the outer periphery of the toner replenishment roller, is provided for opening and closing an opening at predetermined angular positions. At least one shutter opening end is in frictional contact with roller periphery, thus permitting stable mounting and dismounting of the toner container with respect to a developer container in a simple operation.Further, in a toner container comprising a replenishment toner accommodating section and a waste toner recovery section formed at a longitudinal end of the accommodating section via a partitioning wall, the volume ratio between the replenishment toner accommodating section and the waste toner recovery section is set such that no overflow of waste toner occurs.

Abstract: A developer transporting device for electrophotographic copiers has a pair of walls, a rotating shaft supported between the pair of walls, a first transporting member provided on the rotating shaft, a rotating cylindrical screw concentrically sheathing the rotating shaft and having a second transporting member provided on an exterior surface thereof and apertures provided at both ends thereof, an inflow pipe mounted on one wall of the pair of walls and extending into one end of the cylindrical screw and provided with a developer inflow opening facing an aperture of the cylindrical screw, and an outflow pipe mounted on the other wall of the pair of walls and extending into the other end of the cylindrical screw and provided with a developer outflow opening facing an aperture of the cylindrical screw.

Abstract: An electrophotographic recording apparatus comprises a photosensitive drum, a transfer roller, a high voltage power supply circuit for applying a transfer voltage to the transfer roller and a CPU for controlling the entire apparatus. The high voltage power supply circuit supplies an output voltage corresponding to a control signal issued from the CPU as the transfer voltage to the transfer roller. At this time, the high voltage power supply circuit sends a current detection signal to the CPU to inform the same of an output current which flows to the transfer roller. On the other hand, the CPU outputs a control signal to the high voltage power supply circuit, the control signal corresponding to said current detection signal output from the high voltage power supply circuit. As a result, even if the output current is varied depending on the kind of the print medium and the resistance of the transfer roller, it is possible to generate the output voltage in accordance with the varied output current.

Abstract: An image reader capable of determining whether or not a book document to be copied needs royalty by the recognition of a book document and counting operation of a copying system. When a book document to be copied needs royalty, the number of times that images of the document are scanned or the number of times that the resulting image data are outputted is counted. While the count is stored, the royalty of the book document copied is managed on the basis of the count. The image reader can also read a ID code formed on the book, and can control the counting operation based on the detected book ID.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus for determining the appropriate level of magnification to reproduce a document onto an output sheet with pre-determined dimensions is disclosed. The device may be mounted to the surface of the copy machine or it may be attached to the side of the platen glass. The original document is properly lined up with the measuring device, and horizontal and vertical magnification factors are read from both sides. The smaller of the two values is then entered into the magnification system of the copy machine. This will allow an original document of any size to be copied onto a sheet of paper with pre-determined dimensions. Several devices may be used together to form a set to allow the user to determine the appropriate magnification factor for a copy sheet with virtually any dimensions.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing images on an image carrier sheet to allow the image carrier sheet to be repeatedly used. The apparatus includes an image removing member for removing images from an image carrier sheet, the images being fixed on the image carrier sheet. A liquid supply supplies a liquid to the image removing member and a transporting mechanism transports the image carrier sheet with the fixed images to the image removing member. The fixed images on the image carrier sheet are removed by the image removing member when the liquid supplied to the image removing member is applied to a surface of the image carrier sheet. A pressing member presses the surface of the image carrier sheet against the image removing member, the image removing member including a squeeze roller. The liquid supply means includes a liquid supply roller and the transporting mechanism comprises a pair of transport rollers. The squeeze roller is rotated at a higher speed than the pair of transport rollers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a patch image on a recording medium, irradiates the patch image formed on the recording medium with light, and detects a quantity of light reflected by the patch image and outputs a first detection signal. The apparatus detects a quantity of light emitted by a light emission source and outputs a second detection signal, and amplifies the first detection signal in accordance with a first amplification gain and outputs a first amplified signal. The apparatus amplifies the second detection signal in accordance with a second amplification gain and outputs a second amplified signal, and controls image forming conditions based on the first amplified signal or the second amplified signal. An adjustment mode is executed prior to controlling the image forming conditions, and the first amplification gain is controlled when the patch image is formed with black toner, and the second amplification gain is controlled when the patch image is formed with color toner.

Abstract: A main body of a regenerating apparatus of a recording medium has a conveyor mechanism which conveys a recording medium to be regenerated along a conveyance passage. A cleaning unit is removably mounted on the main body for easy maintenance, cleaning or replacement. Preferably, the cleaning unit has a U-shaped conveyance passage of the recording medium filled up with a cleaning liquid, and an image removing mechanism which applies a physical treatment to the surface of the recording medium. The recording medium is taken in the U-shaped conveyance passage, immersed in the cleaning liquid so that the image on the recording medium is swollen and removed by the image removing mechanism. The image removing mechanism may include a web impregnated with cleaning liquid brought into contact with the recording medium by a roller which may have a built-in heater to cause the printing material on the recording medium to swell and be scraped off by the web.

Abstract: A moving body moves in reciprocation in directions perpendicular to a feeding direction of a chart. An image carrier is mounted on the moving body and rotates in synchronism with a movement of the moving body. A charging unit is mounted on the moving body and changes the image carrier. A developing unit is mounted on the moving body and develops an electrostatic latent image formed by irradiating the image carrier charged by the charging unit with the light. A voltage dividing unit moving in synchronism with the moving body divides a predetermined voltage and supplies the divided voltages to at least the charging unit and the developing unit. An electric charge supplying unit may be used to supply electric charges to a holding unit for holding the electric charges under various conditions of the moving body.

Abstract: A photoreceptor apparatus constructed of a photoreceptor belt releasably attached to the surface of a cylindrical mandrel. The photoreceptor belt is preferably attached to the mandrel by means of a movable segment of the mandrel that is retracted into the mandrel to allow installation of the belt by reducing the effective circumference of the mandrel.