Abstract: A photosensitive drum for a printer cartridge, which can be easily mounted on a printer cartridge of which the positions of drum connectors are fixed, is disclosed. The photosensitive drum for a printer cartridge comprises a cylindrical drum having a photosensitive layer on a cylindrical surface thereof; and a pair of rotation shafts which is respectively mounted on the sides of the cylindrical drum for rotating and supporting the cylindrical drum, wherein at least one of the rotation shafts is insert-fitted to the side of the cylindrical drum.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a liquid development apparatus that can form a uniformly thin layer of high-density liquid developer on the development roller, thereby forming images free of uneven density or toner fog, and another objective is to provide an inexpensive and compact liquid development apparatus which increases the flexibility in the arrangement. A liquid development apparatus in which a liquid developer supply head having a liquid developer discharge outlet for applying a liquid developer on the surface of the development roller is equipped with a section for reducing the viscosity of the liquid developer.

Abstract: A wire bar is formed by winding a wire, which comprises a first flat portion formed along an overall longitudinal length, around a peripheral surface of a metal core such that the peripheral surface of the metal core and the first flat portion tightly contact with each other. Since this increases the area size of a contact portion where the wire and the metal core contact each other, it is possible to increase the force of static friction which fixes the wire to the metal core. Fixing of the wound wire to the metal core by the strong force of static friction effectively prevents the wound wire from getting deviated.

Abstract: A density counting unit of an image forming apparatus for forming a monochromatic image or a color image represented by a plurality of color components on a photosensitive member includes: first totaling means for totaling pixel values of monochromatic component of each pixel of an image when a monochromatic image is formed; second totaling means for totaling pixel values of monochromatic component of each pixel of an image when a monochromatic image is formed, and totaling pixel values of predetermined color component when a color image is formed; and third totaling means for totaling pixel values of color components other than the predetermined color component when a color image is formed. When a monochromatic image is formed, the first totaling means and the second totaling means total the pixel values of the odd number lines and the even number lines, respectively.

Abstract: An image forming device is disclosed that can control image blurring, image contraction, and the like when resilient transfer media such as cardboard is to be transported upward from a pair of resist rollers and guided to a transfer position, and obtain a suitable transfer image. Transfer media is transported upward by resist rollers, and guided toward a transfer position by a pair of guide plates. Because tip of a resilient transfer medium such as cardboard may spring back to its original shape after it separates from the resist rollers, one guide plate is urged toward the transfer position by spring members, and can absorb the springing of the transfer media back to its original shape by pivoting away from the transfer position, and thus can reduce the occurrences of image blurring or the like.

Abstract: A developer collecting apparatus includes a positioning frame for determining a mounting position of a photoreceptor onto a casing; a waste developer container in which waste developer eliminated by cleaning section is stored; and a container mounting section for mounting the waste developer container so as to be removable from the positioning frame and holding the waste developer container so as to be angularly displaceable with respect to the positioning frame. Further, the container mounting section includes a container holding member that is disposed so as to be angularly displaceable with respect to the positioning frame, for holding the waste developer container; a cam member disposed so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the container holding member is angularly displaced; and an elastic member for biasing the cam member to the container holding member with an elastic force.

Abstract: An apparatus with the additionally installable equipment. The apparatus includes an apparatus housing and an additionally installable equipment detachably attached to the apparatus housing. An inserted portion is formed to a bottom surface of the apparatus housing, and an inserting portion is formed to an upper surface of the additionally installable equipment. When the additionally installable equipment is detached from the apparatus housing upon titling the apparatus housing at a tilt angle, a summation of the tilt angle and an interference angle formed of a point where the inserted portion and the inserting portion interfere with each other is rendered less than forty five degrees. Thus, when the additionally installable equipment is detached from the apparatus housing, the additionally installable equipment can be detached from the apparatus housing without deforming the inserting portion.

Abstract: In a fixing unit which drivingly rotates an endless fixing belt having a lubricant applied to an inside surface thereof and which presses the fixing belt against a recording medium formed with a toner image thereon thereby fixing the toner image to the recording medium, the inside surface of the fixing belt is formed with a plurality of grooves extended along a circumferential direction of the fixing belt or extended from a widthwise center of the fixing belt toward the opposite ends thereof as inclined in a moving direction of the fixing belt.

Abstract: A removable duplex unit for an image forming peripheral having a simplex media feedpath and a reversible roller for moving media in a first direction through the peripheral and in a second direction through the duplex unit, includes an auxiliary housing adapted to be removably connected to the image forming peripheral, the auxiliary housing having therein a curved duplex media feedpath of a preselected length extending through the auxiliary housing in feeding communication with the reversible roller in the simplex media feedpath wherein the duplex feedpath in the auxiliary housing is passive and does not provide energy to media passing through the duplex media feedpath.

Abstract: In an image-forming device, a belt unit is detachably mounted in the housing. The belt unit moves to an installation position along a linear insertion/removal path in an insertion direction when the belt unit is mounted in the housing. The belt unit includes: a plurality of rollers; and an endless belt that is supported by the plurality of rollers and is capable of moving circumferentially around the plurality of rollers. A surface of the endless belt contacts a surface of the at least one photosensitive member when the belt unit is located in the installation position. The endless belt moves in a belt-moving direction that is angularly shifted from the removal direction to allow the surface of the endless belt to separate from each photosensitive member when the belt unit starts moving in the removal direction from the installation position.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image formed on a recording material includes a fixing member disposed on a recording material conveyance path, a heating part that heats the fixing member to fix the image formed on the recording material by heat, and a storage unit that is charged by an external power source to supply power to the heating part. The fixing device further includes a fixing temperature detecting unit that detects a temperature of the fixing member, and a control unit that controls the external power source to supply power to the heating part and to determine whether to start to supply power to the heating part from the storage unit based on the temperature of the fixing member, at the time of warming-up the fixing member by the heating part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: colored toner image forming devices each developing an electrostatic image with colored toner to form a colored toner image; a transparent toner image forming device developing an electrostatic image with transparent toner to form a transparent toner image; a transfer device superimposing and transferring the colored toner images and the transparent toner image on a transfer medium; and a fixing device fixing the superimposed toner images on the transfer medium. An image forming operation by the transparent toner image forming device is controlled in such a manner that the heights of the superimposed toner images fixed by the fixing device are substantially constant. The transparent toner has an absolute value for a charge amount per unit weight smaller than an absolute value for the charge amount of each of the colored toners per unit weight.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image shift can be decreased by a photoconductor belt which has a photosensitive layer formed on the surface of a cylindrically formed belt, a pair of rollers which is placed to apply tension to a photoconductor belt, and rotates the photoconductor belt in a specified direction, a charger which is placed opposite to the surface of the photoconductor belt placed between the pair of rollers, and charges the photosensitive layer, a light source which forms a latent image on the charged photosensitive layer, a developing unit which supplies a developing solution to the photosensitive layer having a latent image, develop the latent image, and forms a toner image, and an absorbing roller which is placed on the backside of the photoconductor belt placed between a pair of rollers, and absorbs the photoconductor belt.

Abstract: A wet electrophotographic image forming apparatus detects color per print page and executes printing by turning on only the development bias of a developing unit to be used for printing. The wet electrophotographic image forming apparatus has a color detecting unit for detecting colors for developing the electrostatic latent images per print page; and a controller for selectively turning on and turning off development bias applied to developing rollers of the plurality of the developing units according to the colors detected by the color detecting unit.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus for forming an image by heating a medium, the image-forming apparatus includes a connector connectable to a heating unit that heats the medium; a conmmercial power supply that generates power to be supplied to the heating unit; a switch system, provided between the heating unit and the conmmercial power supply, that switches the supply of the power to the heating unit on or off; and a switch control unit that controls the switch system based on the heating unit type.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing unit having a developer storage chamber for storing a developer composed of a toner and a carrier, in which a developer agitating carrying member and a developer holding member capable of holding and carrying the developer agitated and carried by the developer agitating carrying member are disposed in the developer storage chamber; and an auxiliary developing unit for supplementing development for the developing unit, wherein: the developer storage chamber of the developing unit and the auxiliary storage chamber of the auxiliary developing unit are disposed adjacently via a bulkhead; a dispenser chamber that can supply or withdraw a fixed amount of developer is formed in communication with the developer storage chamber and the auxiliary storage chamber inside the bulkhead; and a dispenser member for carrying a fixed amount of developer is disposed within the dispenser chamber.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image forming unit for forming a toner image on a recording material, a first image heating unit having a first rotary member and a second rotary member forming a first nip therebetween, and a second image heating unit provided with a third rotary member forming a second nip between it and the first rotary member. The first rotary member, second rotary member and third rotary member respectively has a heater and an introducing unit introduces the recording material heated in the first nip into the second nip. A recording material separation temperature of the second image heating unit is lower than the recording material separation temperature of said first image heating unit, and when the toner image is heated in the second nip, the second rotary member heats the first rotary member.

Abstract: A sensor system includes an LED configured to emit light to a recording medium and a light-receiving sensor configured to receive a transmitted light that has passed through the recording medium after having been emitted from the LED to the recording medium. An emitting optical axis of the LED is away from a perpendicular receiving optical axis of the light-receiving sensor.

Abstract: A toner cartridge comprising a rotary 2 provided with an agitator 3 that agitates a toner, and a bearing that rotatably supports a shaft tip 6 of the rotary 2, comprises a retainer 10 at the shaft tip 6 of the rotary 2 and at the bearing 7 that inhibits the slipping out, in the axial direction, of the shaft tip 6 of the rotary 2 from the bearing 7.

Abstract: A toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing unit includes: a toner cartridge; and a toner feed device having a casing for reserving toner and a toner agitator shaft for agitating and conveying the toner. The toner feed device includes a toner input port for allowing entrance of toner into the casing and a toner feed port for feeding toner to the developing unit, the toner input port and toner feed port being arranged on the outer side of the developing roller with respect to the direction of the developing roller's axis of the developing unit, and the toner agitator shaft conveys and supplies the toner from the toner input port along the direction of the developing roller's axis to the toner feed port.