Abstract: A device for post-processing of printed print substrate webs comprises a smoothing device that is arranged immediately after the fixing device. The toner (still hot and doughy in terms of its consistency) is compressed with a predetermined pressure over a width of the print substrate web. It is thus achieved that less abrasion of the toner occurs in the further process and a specifically altered print image is generated.

Abstract: The presently described embodiments relate to improving system productivity where maintenance purge routines are required through use of a digital front end (DFE) job scheduler. This approach utilizes knowledge of future jobs to maximize productivity. So, even if a low coverage area job is being processed, and a purge routine is scheduled, the purge routine may be avoided. This is achieved by projecting the system evolution over a future time horizon and determining the schedule of toner purge events (a non productive dead cycle) to minimize a cost function that penalizes the purge event (dead cycling and material loss should be minimized) and the deviation of average toner resident time in the sump from some desired set point of range. In this regard, knowledge that a high coverage area job is downstream and average toner residient time may be advantageously used to effectively perform the purge itself while in productive mode.

Abstract: A cleaning device cleans off a toner from a surface of a member rotating in a first direction. The cleaning device includes a blade made of an elastic material including a tip portion with a slanting portion that is pressed against the surface in a second direction counter to the first direction. A supporter supports the blade. An angle between the slanting portion and a longitudinal direction of the blade is obtuse. The slanting portion is pressed against the surface at a surface pressure of 2.0 MPa or more.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of removing leaked toner includes: a toner cartridge storing a toner and having a toner supply window for supplying the toner; a housing for detachably accommodating the toner cartridge; and a toner receptacle provided to the housing receiving the toner leaking from the toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is detached from the housing. The image forming apparatus also includes a toner remover to remove the toner adhered to the outer periphery of the toner cartridge. As a result, the inner and outer peripheries of the image forming apparatus are not polluted, and the components of the image forming apparatus function properly.

Abstract: A conductive rubber roller 10 has a conductive rubber layer 1, containing chloroprene rubber, and composes an outermost layer thereof. When an alternating current is applied to the conductive rubber roller 10 at a voltage of five and a frequency of 100 Hertz, the dielectric loss tangent is 0.1 to 1.8.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a turnable image bearing body for bearing a latent image; a turnable developer bearing body for bearing liquid developer, the developer bearing body and the image bearing body being pressed in contact with each other at a predetermined press-contact position, the developer bearing body being capable of carrying the liquid developer toward the press-contact position by turning, the image forming apparatus performing development of the latent image, which is bore by the image bearing body, with the liquid developer that has been carried toward the press-contact position; and a controller for causing the development of the latent image to start after a predetermined period of time has passed from when the turning speed of the developer bearing body and the image bearing body reached a predetermined turning speed for development at which the development is performed.

Abstract: A developing device includes a housing, a developer bearing roller, a first seal member, a second seal member, a second seal supporting member, and an urging member. The housing has an opening and is adapted to contain a developer. The developer bearing roller is arranged facing the opening and adapted to bear the developer. The first seal member abuts against the developer bearing roller along an axial direction thereof to prevent the developer from spilling. The second seal member abuts against an end, in the axial direction, of the developer bearing roller along a circumferential direction thereof to prevent the developer from spilling. The second seal supporting member supports an end, in a longitudinal direction, of the second seal member, and is attached to the housing such that a boundary section between the second seal member and the second seal supporting member faces the housing.

Abstract: Control circuitry associated with an electrophotographic imaging device is adapted to operate in conjunction with a sensor to adjust a difference in electrical bias between a photoconductive surface and an associated roller. The sensor detects a reflectance or luminosity of a developed image and the control circuitry uses this detected information and information related to reflectance or luminosity of the underlying surface and the developing toner to determine whether the developed image is produced as desired. The control circuitry adjusts the difference in electrical bias between the photoconductive surface and an associated roller in response to a comparison between the detected and desired images. In one embodiment, a predetermined test pattern is developed over a range of electrical bias differences and an optimum operating point is determined from the iterations.

Abstract: A thermistor is disposed confronting a surface of a heat roller on a downstream side in a rotational direction of a heat roller from a contact position between the heat roller and a pressure roller. Side guide members are provided on both sides of the thermistor and spaced away from the thermistor in the axial direction of the heat roller, and a regulating guide member is disposed connecting the side guide members on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the heat roller. In addition, a separation plate for separating a sheet of paper is provided at a predetermined space from the surface of the heat roller between the contact position and the thermistor in the rotational direction.

Abstract: It is determined whether a print job to be output on a color laser-printing device is to have reduced color toner usage. In response to determining that the print job is to have reduced color toner usage, the print job is adjusted so that the print job consumes less color toner when output on the color laser-printing device, by color-desaturating the print job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an executing portion, which executes a first removing sequence and a second removing sequence when removing a toner image borne on an intermediate transfer member. The first removing sequence passes the toner image through a primary transfer portion, which is applied with a voltage having a same polarity as the predetermined polarity, and thereafter removing the toner image by the removing portion which forms a cleaning electric field. The second removing sequence removes the toner image by the removing portion, which forms the cleaning electric field, without passing the toner image through the primary transfer portion. A selecting portion means selects between the first removing sequence and the second removing sequence in accordance with a toner amount per unit area of the toner image borne on the intermediate transfer member at a stoppage of the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An improved image forming apparatus comprises a first developing unit comprising a photosensitive body. Also provided is a second developing unit including a developing roller which is moveably installed so that the developing roller selectively contacts the photosensitive body. A pressing member selectively presses the second developing unit. The developing roller contacts the photosensitive body during a developing process and separates from the photosensitive body after the developing process is finished.

Abstract: A drum/belt drive starting procedure simultaneous starts the rotation of photosensitive drums and the conveyance of a belt. A drum/belt driving time calculating procedure sets a rotational drive stop time of each photosensitive drum and a conveyance drive stop time of the conveying belt on the basis of a detection result of a reference mark detecting unit. A drum/belt drive stopping procedure stops the rotation of each photosensitive drum and the conveyance of the conveying belt on the basis of a calculation result of the drum/belt driving time calculating procedure. Rotational phase differences of every plural photosensitive drums are set to a predetermined value in the state where rubbing with the belt is small.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus comprising: an exposing means and a developing means. The developing means comprises a plurality of developing devices, a rotating member rotatable while supporting the plurality of the developing devices, and a driving means for the rotation drive of the rotating member for selectively moving the plurality of the developing devices to the developing position such that the driving means transmits driving force to the rotating member via a gear at a drive transmitting position. An angle ?e(°) formed by a straight line linking the rotation center of the rotating member and the drive transmitting position and the tangent of the image bearing member at an exposing position in the image bearing member moving direction satisfies the following relationship with the premise that an pressure angle of the gear is ?(°) and the image bearing member rotating direction is positive:????e??.

Abstract: A process cartridge of the present invention includes a photoconductive member with a rotatable axis, a cleaning member to contact on the photoconductive member, and plates to support both ends of the rotatable axis of the photoconductive member. The plates further support the supporting member, so that the process cartridge is improved accuracy between the photoconductive member and the cleaning member. Further, an image forming apparatus of the present invention can mount the same process cartridge inside.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a document conveying section that reversely conveys documents such that a front side and back side of the documents pass through a reading position, an image reading section for reading images on the documents conveyed to the reading position and generating image data, an image forming section for forming images on recording media, according to the image data, an input section for inputting designation whether the images are to be formed on both sides or on one side of the recording media, and a control section for controlling image reading by the image reading section and image forming by the image forming section, wherein the control section controls the image forming section to form an image according to image data in a condition where a single job includes both single-sided and double-sided image recording, correspondingly to the designation inputted via the input section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention predicts the occurrence of an image elongation, in other words, predicts that an image transferred is lengthened on a sheet due to slipping of the sheet with respect to a photoreceptor at a transfer nip portion. If the occurrence of the image elongation is predicted, the amount of a rear edge portion to be deleted from an electrostatic latent image is obtained on the basis of a sheet rear edge void setting change table, the amount of the rear edge portion to be deleted is added to the default amount of a rear edge void, a portion corresponding to the rear edge portion of an image of image information is deleted, and a printing process is carried out. In this way, even if a slip phenomenon occurs, in other words, the sheet slips with respect to the photoreceptor, it is possible to surely secure a blank space at a rear edge portion of the sheet.

Abstract: A developer cartridge including a frame, a developer housing section, a developer supplying section, a developer electrode, and an input gear is provided. The frame includes a first side wall and a second side wall, and the first side wall and the second side wall extend substantially in a length direction. The developer housing section, for housing a developer, extends from the first side wall to the second side wall in a width direction substantially perpendicular to the length direction. The developer supplying section, for supplying the developer to a photosensitive member, extends from the first side wall to the second side wall in the width direction and houses a developer carrying member. The developer carrying member includes a developer carrying member shaft and a developer carrying member body that is supported on the developer carrying member shaft. The developer carrying member shaft extends in the width direction and is rotatably supported by the first side wall and the second side wall.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention has a first opening and closing unit that is opened to thereby expose said convey path and a second opening and closing unit that have a recording material stacking section and can open the image forming unit to support intermediate transfer. The second opening and closing unit can be operated be to open or close at the time that the first opening and closing unit is opened.

Abstract: A capability is provided to reduce misregistration effects, and/or color-to-color registration errors, in output multi-color images based on velocity and position deviations and/or disturbances in transfer subsystems in image forming devices. A capability is provided to automatically compensate for torque disturbances caused by a photoreceptor belt seam crossing a mechanical device in a photoreceptor belt-based transfer subsystem in an image forming device. A learning algorithm, based on a mathematical model of transfer subsystem mechanical operational dynamics by which a series of performance curves could be generated, is employed to facilitate prediction of a torque disturbance profile in a mechanical motor driven transfer subsystem in an image forming device in order to produce a response profile which automatically predictively attempts to nullify the effects of the mechanical torque disturbance.