Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transferring section for transferring an image to an image receiving medium, a primary fixing section for fixing the image by pressurizing the medium and a secondary fixing section for fixing the image. Conveying lengths of the medium from a transfer position to image fixing positions in the secondary fixing section and the primary fixing section are shorter than a maximum length and a minimum length of the medium in the conveying direction, respectively. In case of the medium of the maximum length, the primary fixing section is brought into a non-fixing state and the transfer is completed when the forward end of the medium reaches the secondary fixing section. In case of the medium of the minimum length, the primary fixing section is brought into a fixing state and the transfer is completed when the forward end of the medium reaches the primary fixing section.

Abstract: The developing apparatus includes a developing container in which a developer containing a toner and a carrier is stored, a developing roller which carries the developer, and agitating transporting members which circulate and transport the developer along a rotary axis line of a developing roller while mixing and agitating the developer. The developer container includes a developing zone portion corresponding to the developing roller and an extended zone portion which is provided adjacent to the developing zone portion in an axial direction of the developing roller. The developer container is provided with a developer blocking member which separates the developing zone portion and the extended zone portion. The developer container is provided with valves which open in a developer transporting direction in a communicating portion of the developer blocking member between the developing zone portion and the extended zone portion.

Abstract: In an image forming device, a correction unit corrects image formation operation based on a plurality of correction patterns. A pattern creation unit forms an electrostatic latent image of the correction patterns on a photoconductor and transferring the image to an intermediate transfer body to form the correction patterns thereon. A pattern detecting unit detects the correction patterns formed on the intermediate transfer body. A speed detecting unit detects a movement speed of the correction patterns on the intermediate transfer body are moved. A timing holding unit computes a set value of detection start timing for starting detection of each correction pattern to hold the set value. The correction unit is provided to determine, in advance of correcting image formation operation, a detection start timing based on the movement speed and the set value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that may be easily and inexpensively manufactured is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a toner supply unit; an image forming element to which toner is adsorbed from the toner supply unit; an image developing unit disposed on an outer side of the image forming element, wherein said image developing unit selectively separates from the image forming element at least a part of the toner adsorbed to the image forming element in order to develop an image on the image forming element; and a toner return unit which returns the toner separated from the image forming element by the image developing unit to the toner supply unit.

Abstract: A support structure for an image processing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus has an apparatus body, a base provided at a lower portion of the apparatus body for supporting the body, and an image processing unit disposed inside the apparatus body or attached thereto. The processing unit is capable of effecting at least either an image forming operation or an image reading operation. The support structure includes a grounding portion formed at and integrally with a bottom of the apparatus base for coming into contact with a contact-object surface such as a floor surface at at least three positions thereof thereby to support the base parallel with the contact-object surface and includes also an elastic projecting portion formed of a material having greater elasticity than a material forming the grounding portion. The elastic projecting portion has a ground-contacting face which projects from a bottom face of the grounding portion under a non-grounded condition of the support structure.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus detachably mounts a process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and includes a frame having an opening; a door movable between closing and opening positions; a cartridge-carrying tray movable among a latent image formation position, a mounting and demounting position, and a movable position therebetween; and a regulating member movable between a regulating position for regulating movement of the door from the opening position to the position when the tray is beyond the movable position, and a permitting position for permitting movement of the door from the opening position to the closing position when the tray is at the movable position.

Abstract: A method and a device to electrostatically discharge a printing material, to which a toner has been applied, in an appropriate manner. The method is provided for electrically discharging certain areas of a toner-coated printing material, in particular for an electrophotographic printing machine. The discharge device is provided for a printing machine, specifically for an electrophotographic printing machine, for electrically discharging toner-coated printing material. The device uses a control device for electrically discharging certain areas of the printing material.

Abstract: A toner cartridge in a bottle shape for storing toner is composed of a first cylindrical portion having a blocked bottom wall at one end and an opening at the other end and a second cylindrical portion in which one end thereof is connected to the opening, and an opening for ejecting toner is formed at the other end, and the outside diameter thereof is smaller than the first cylindrical portion.

Abstract: A developing device including a rotating developing roller bearing toner thereon, capable of developing an electrostatic latent image with the toner; a toner layer forming member configured to form a toner layer on the developing roller, and charge the toner of the toner layer at a nip between the developing roller and the toner layer forming member; and a toner supplying device configured to supply fresh toner to the developing device, wherein a charge quantity (q) of the toner on the developing roller varies according to the following equation q(t)=A·{1?exp(?t/tg)} wherein t represents a nip passing time of the toner on the developing roller, tg represents a time constant of charging the toner, and A represents a constant, and wherein the time constant tg is smaller than a rotation time of the developing roller per rotation; and an image forming apparatus and a process cartridge using the developing device.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus has an image bearing member, a detecting member, a toner image forming apparatus, a transfer member and a collecting member for collecting toner of a toner image for detection attached to the transfer member rotating while contacting with the transfer member, and removing member for removing the toner collected into said collecting member from the collecting member in a removing area. In the image forming apparatus, a portion of the collecting member contacts the transfer member passes through the removing area by a time when said collecting member next contacts with the transfer member, and by a time when a portion of the collecting member which contacts a portion of the transfer member contacts the toner image for detection next contacts the portion of the transfer member contacts with the toner image for detection, said collecting member passes through the removing area at least two times.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a photosensitive drum of a process cartridge also containing, process means, and a memory with a contact. The apparatus includes a member movable between opening and closing positions; a detector detecting closing of the movable member; a connector having a contact s movable between contact and separating positions; (v) an operator moving the connector from the separating to the contact position; a holder engageable with the operator to hold the connector at the contact position; for a controller communicating with the memory through the connector after detection of a signal change outputted from the detector when the movable member moves away from the closing position; for a releasor releasing engagement between the holding and operation members after the movable member moves from the closing position by a predetermined distance; and an urger urging the connector in a direction away from the contact position toward the separating position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus defined by two flat, linear surface plates and two belts independently routed outside one of the two flat linear surface plates using a combination of rollers providing a stiff, linear, no-friction plane scalable in dimension to form the linear nip zone. The linear nip zone is further defined having and entrance defined by entrance rollers operating within each of the two belts and an exit defined by exit rollers operating within each of the two belts. Force loading devices associated with each of the two flat linear surface plates provide a load required for the two flat linear surface plates to enable the linear nip zone to achieve proper image performance. At least one heater roller can be associated with each of the two belts for providing heat directly to a surface the two belts that will directly contact paper processed through the linear nip zone.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which can, by uniformly leveling the particles which are non-uniformly adhered to the surface of the photoconductor by using a leveling means having a predetermined shape, and can maintain the excellent image characteristics for a long period even when a contact charging method is adopted as a charging means and an image forming method which uses the image forming apparatus. In an image forming apparatus which sequentially arranges a charging means, a developing means, a transferring means and a charge eliminating means around an electrophotographic photoconductor, the charging means is constituted of a contact-type charging means, and a leveling means which levels particles on a surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor is arranged between the transferring means and the charge eliminating means.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which can improve image formation capability to a satisfactory degree while curbing the rise in running cost. An image forming device forms adjustment images having different densities on an image support member having a higher optical reflectivity than an optical reflectivity of the adjustment images. A reading reads the adjustment images. An output from the reading device is read at a predetermined number of readings or time interval between readings based on the densities of the adjustment images susceptible to the optical reflectivity of the image support member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that inhibits malfunctions therein via control such that respective developing devices change positions at predetermined timings. In a color laser printer, a first position is a position on a photosensitive drum facing a developing roller established when a developing roller moves to a developing position. A second position is a position on a photosensitive drum facing another developing roller when the developing roller moves to a developing position. First and second corresponding portions are portions on the conveying belt respectively corresponding to the first and second positions. The timing for moving the first developing roller and the second developing roller is controlled via a control apparatus and actuator such that a distance between the first corresponding portion and the second corresponding portion is less than a reference distance determined when the first developing roller and the second developing roller simultaneously approach the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A printer 20 includes a photosensitive drum 1, a charge roller 2 for electrically charging the photosensitive drum 1, a developing device 4 for developing an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 into a toner image, a transfer roller 5 for transferring the toner image onto a recording material, and a transfer residual toner charging member 8 for electrically charging toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a coil for generating magnetic flux and an image heating member. The image heating member comprises an electroconductive layer which generates heat by eddy current generated by the magnetic flux from the coil, for heating an image on a recording material. The image heating apparatus further comprises an energization control device for controlling energization of the coil so that a temperature of the image heating member is a predetermined temperature Tf (° C.), and a heat pipe contactable with the image heating member. The electroconductive layer has a Curie temperature Tc so that the relation Tf?Tc?Tf+Qmax (W)×Rh (° C./W) is satisfied, wherein Qmax (W) represents a maximum amount of heat transport, and Rh (° C./W) represents a value of heat resistance of the heat pipe at a dryout occurrence temperature of the heat pipe.

Abstract: In a fixing device which fixes toner image on a recording material while using a nipping section which is formed between a fixing roller heated by a heating section and a fixing belt which is formed to be endless and rotated by the fixing roller, wherein the fixing device includes a pressing section which presses the fixing belt from an inner surface of the fixing belt against the fixing roller, a sliding member which is mounted between the fixing belt and the pressing section via a lubricant, and a supporting member which supports the inner peripheral surface of an end section of the fixing belt with respect to an axial direction of the fixing belt, wherein a predetermined clearance is provided between the sliding member and the supporting member with respect to the axial direction of the fixing belt.

Abstract: A drive device 1 includes a planetary roller type power transmission unit, a temperature sensor 5b, a delay time determination unit 103, and an image processing control unit 104. The planetary roller type power transmission unit includes a plurality of planetary rollers at least a part thereof made from an elastic material that is pressed against the periphery of a motor 2 rotation shaft, a ring that contacts the plurality of planetary rollers, a carrier roller, and an output shaft. The temperature sensor 5b measures the temperature Te of or near the planetary roller. The delay time determination unit 103 determines the delay time Td from the start up time of the motor 2 until the start of the image forming process. The image processing control unit 104 starts the image forming process after the delay time Td has passed from the start up time of the motor 2.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and method where a first terminal group comprises one or more host terminals, a second terminal group is connected to the first terminal group via a network and comprises one or more host terminals, and an image forming apparatus is connected to the first and second terminal groups via the network, and forms an image using a predetermined expendable material in response to a drive command issued by one of the host terminals belonging to the first or second terminal group. An expendable element has a memory that stores information regarding a remaining amount of expendable material for each of the first and second terminal groups. Accordingly, it is possible for host terminals to obtain the benefits of being connected to a plurality of image forming apparatuses from a single image forming apparatus.