Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a first convey device for conveying recording material to an image forming position where a toner image is formed on the recording material, the first convey device having a recording material bearing member for bearing the recording material; a fixing device for fixing the toner image onto the recording material, the fixing means device having a pair of rotary members for pinching and conveying the recording material, and oil being adhered to one of the rotary members with which the toner image is contacted; and a second convey device for turning over the recording material after a fixing operation and for conveying the recording material to the recording material bearing member. The apparatus further includes a cleaning device for cleaning the recording material bearing member, the cleaning device having a surface contacting with the recording material bearing member. The surface has a non-woven cloth including fibers having an average thickness of below 10 .mu.

Abstract: A developing device incorporated into a copying machine of the present invention has a developer/toner supplying section in which a developing tank and a toner cartridge are independently and detachably formed. A toner density sensor for controlling toner density of developer is provided in the developing device. The toner density sensor is used to detect a developer drawing defect and maintain a predetermined value of toner density during the copying operation when developer is supplied from the developer/toner supply section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a member to be charged for carrying an electrostatic image, a contact-charging means for charging the member to be charged in contact with the member to be charged, and a developing means for developing the electrostatic image carried on the member to be charged. The developing means includes a developer for developing the electrostatic image comprising a toner and hydrophobic inorganic fine powder. The hydrophobic fine powder has a hydrophobicity of 60% or higher and the toner has a volume average particle size of 4-8 microns. The hydrophobic inorganic fine powder not only improves the fluidity of the developer and adjusts the chargeability of the developer but also prevents difficulties due to interaction between the member to be charged and the contact charging means in the presence of residual developer, such as damages of the member to be charged and toner-sticking onto the member to be charged.

Abstract: A system for automatically eliminating a paper jam in an electrophotographic device may be initiated by removing and re-inserting a paper cassette subsequent to the occurrence of the paper jam. If the paper cassette is removed and inserted, a paper jam eliminating mode is implemented to eliminate the paper jam.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a cartridge includes an image forming device acting on an image bearing member and a driving force transmitting device which is adapted to transmit a driving force from an apparatus side to a cartyridge side and which is separable from the image forming device. The apparatus also includes a drive source. The image forming device and the driving force transmitting device are integrally mountable to the apparatus.

Abstract: A color printing apparatus and method for printing separate color images onto the two sides of a substrate, which includes a number of image bearing cylinders, not necessarily of the same size, each of which is related to a single color and an imaging mechanism for imaging each of the cylinders with two separate images. The apparatus includes a number of transfer mechanisms for simultaneously transferring each of the images of each of the cylinders onto the substrate, with at least one of the images being transferred to each side of the substrate, and each of the images being transferred to the substrate from a different location along each of the cylinders. Finally, the apparatus includes a turnover mechanism for turning the substrate over between the transferring of the first of the images of all of the cylinders and the transferring of the second of the two images. A similar apparatus can also be used in monochrome printing using a single imaging cylinder.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a transport belt in a printing machine of the type in which liquid ink is deposited on a recording medium moved along a path by the transport belt. The cleaning apparatus located next to the transport belt cleans a first surface and a second surface of the transport belt when ink and/or other contaminants collect on the belt. A sensor senses when the belt needs cleaning. Interior side walls of apertures within the belt which enable vacuum transport of the recording medium through the printing machine are also cleaned. The cleaning apparatus includes a first cleaning device having a flexible web for cleaning the first surface of the transport belt and a second cleaning device having a flexible web for cleaning the second surface of the transport belt. The sensor includes a length sufficient to sense contaminants along the width of the transport belt.

Abstract: Cartridge (1) contains a brush charger (32) and printer (40) contains a charge roller (30). Upon installation of the cartridge a top shutter (7) is moved downward and the charge roller is moved by a pivoted arm (44) through the opening left by the shutter to contact a photoconductor drum (24) in the cartridge. In operation the roller functions after charging by the brush at a potential to control the final charge on a photoconductor prior to xerographic imaging. The precharging by the brush greatly reduces deterioration of the charge roller, permitting long machine life with the accurate and uniform operation of a charge roller.

Abstract: An electrostatic copying machine has a cassette detachment detection circuit. The detection circuit detects a detachment of any one of a plurality of cassettes. When one of the plurality of paper cassettes is taken out of the main body of the copying machine and returned to the original position by the detection circuit, the returned cassette is automatically selected for supplying papers therefrom. The residual of the papers of the cassette which is taken out of the main body is checked by a paper remainder detection circuit. In a case that, when the residual of the papers in the returned cassette is not a predetermined value, the operability of the copying machine can be improved since the cassette is returned to the main body and the paper is supplied from the returned cassette.

Abstract: A liquid electrophotographic reproduction machine for producing a toner image reproduction on a copy sheet. The reproduction machine includes an image bearing member movable along a process path, latent image forming devices mounted along the process path for forming a latent image electrostatically on the image bearing member, and a development unit. The development unit is mounted along the process path and contains liquid developer material including a liquid carrier and charged dispersed toner particles for developing the latent image to form a toner image. The reproduction machine also includes a transfix assembly mounted along the process path for transferring and simultaneously heating and fixing the toner image onto a copy sheet.

Abstract: According to an image forming apparatus of the present invention, a developer filling opening is formed in an end of a casing which is provided with a developer-filled section, a holder section is arranged round the developer filling opening to hold a developer cartridge, guides are arranged adjacent to the developer cartridge holder section to guide the developer cartridge to the developer cartridge holder section when it is inserted into a developing unit from one side thereof, and the developer cartridge is attached to the developer cartridge holder section, when the developer-filled section with developer D in the developer cartridge, said developer consisting of toner T and carrier C mixed at a predetermined rate. The filling of developer or toner can be therefore more easily and quickly achieved without detaching the developing unit from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided with a heating member heated by a heater, a temperature detecting member for detecting a temperature of the heating member, a controller for controlling energization of the heater so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection member becomes equal to a predetermined fixing temperature in a fixing mode, and becomes equal to a predetermined stand-by temperature lower than the fixing temperature in a stand-by mode, and a measurement unit for measuring a temperature rise rate of the heater, wherein the controller controls determination of the stand-by temperature and a switching timing from the stand-by temperature to the fixing temperature on the basis of a measurement result from the measurement unit.

Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus for transporting an image carrying sheet into a fusing apparatus without image disturbances from a sheet motion opposing force. The sheet transport apparatus includes a baffle plate positioned along a line of sheet movement into the fusing apparatus, and active means for moving the image carrying sheet over and towards the baffle plate. The sheet transport apparatus also includes a generally triangular member having a flat base positioned on the baffle plate, and an upstream flank as well as a downstream flank forming an apex thereof for creating a convex buckle in the image carrying sheet prior to the image carrying sheet being subjected to a sheet motion opposing force from contact with the fusing apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a color image forming apparatus for forming a color image by superimposing a plurality of color toner images on a recording material, which can improve the quality of the toner images on the recording material during the transferring of the plural color toner images.The present invention slightly differentiates a moving speed of an electrophotographic photosensitive member as an image bearing member from a moving speed of a recording material bearing means which supports the recording material and moves with respect to the photosensitive member. Whereby, it is possible to adequately transfer the toner images onto the recording material in a superimposed fashion.

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.

Abstract: In an copying apparatus of the cartridge type having a photosensitive drum, a staticization charger, a destaticizer and any other peripheral processor units, a variable width slit formed above the drum and in the optical path between the light source and the photosensitive drum for regulating the amount of light reaching the drum. The variable width slot acts as a compensation devise to compensate for varying sensitivity of the photosensitive drum. The width of the slot is altered by changing the position of a sliding adjustor member so as to vary the amount of light reaching the drum to compensate for the variation of the sensitivity of the drum resulting from the various manufacturing parameters thereby enhancing the reliability of the manufactured apparatus.

Abstract: If it is desired to display the number of copies which can be outputted corresponding to the defined capacity of a developer which is determined by an image forming apparatus, a document which is thought to have a substantially average black ratio of the respective black ratios of images actually recorded by the image forming apparatus is prepared. The prepared document is set in reading means. An image of the set document is read by reading means. The black ratio of the image of the document is calculated on the basis of an output of the reading means. The number of copies which can be outputted corresponding to the defined capacity of the developer which is determined by the image forming apparatus is calculated on the basis of the calculated black ratio. The calculated number of copies which can be outputted is displayed.

Abstract: A method of intermingling images of different sizes on a photosensitive surface and yet avoid the seam of the photosensitive surface and synchronize the transfer of the images to intermingled copy sheets of various sizes by determining the size of each image before projecting the image onto the photo sensitive surface; predicting the relationship of the image to the seam of the photosensitive surface; deciding that a given image would overlay the seam of the photosensitive surface, applying a timing adjustment to project the given image onto the photosensitive surface in avoidance of the seam of the photosensitive surface, and transferring each of the images including said given image from the photosensitive surface to copy sheets whereby images of different sizes are intermingled along the photosensitive surface and copy sheets of different sizes are intermingled along the copy sheet path.

Abstract: There is disclosed an optic system for illuminating a spatial light modulator array in a xerographic printing process consisting of an array of LED emitters constructed to efficiently replace the conventional tungsten source used in prior art. The array of LED emitters can be geometrically configured or electrically operated by strobing or varying the brightness of individual pixels to compensate for other system optical deficiencies and results in improved printing process. By exposure strobing the LED source correction for fuzzy line edges can be achieved.

Abstract: An electrostatographic reproduction machine including a cover assembly for holding an original document onto a glass platen, and for dissipating heat build up from the top of the glass platen. The cover assembly includes a heat conductive white film layer for contacting the original document, and a layer of foam with air flow passages therethrough mounted over the white film layer. The cover assembly also includes a rigid frame having a top panel including air flow openings formed therethrough, mounted over the layer of foam, for dissipating heat from the layer of foam and white film layer to the ambient.