Abstract: A fixing device for a copying machine includes a heating roller having a heating portion therein, a press roller provided in rolling contact with the heating roller, and a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the heating roller and the press roller. The cleaning mechanism has a cleaning roller provided in rolling contact with the heating roller, and a pressure changing mechanism for changing a pressure applied by the cleaning roller to the heating roller. The pressure changing mechanism continuously changes the pressure of the cleaning roller within a predetermined pressure range at a period shorter than a passing time of the recording sheet passing through a portion between the heating roller and the press roller.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including a housing defining a reservoir storing a supply of developer material including toner. A donor member is spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting toner on an outer surface of the donor member to a region opposed from the imaging surface. A mag roll loads toner onto a region of the outer surface of the donor member. A charging device ion charges the toner loaded on the region of the donor member. An AC/DC voltage supply for biasing the donor member positioned in close proximity to the imaging member to detach toner from the donor member as to form a toner cloud for developing the latent image. A second charging device discharges and removes residual toner on the region of the donor and returning the toner to the reservoir.

Abstract: A fuser apparatus having a pair of rollers in nip relation to transport a receiver member therebetween to permanently fix a marking particle image to such receiver member, and a dual function air skive assembly for stripping a receiver member adhering to a fuser apparatus roller from the roller. The dual function air skive assembly includes a frame engageable with a roller of the pair of rollers of the fuser apparatus. An air plenum is supported by the frame in operative relation to the fuser roller nip. The air plenum has a first nozzle arrangement directed at an angle to the roller so as to provide a positive air flow to strip a receiver member adhering to the roller therefrom. The first nozzle arrangement has a plurality of nozzle heads respectively configured to provide a positive air flow having a substantially oval cross-section.

Abstract: An excellent image forming state is secured constantly regardless of the history of an image forming unit installed. When a new drum cartridge is installed in a copying machine during a standby pending operation of a copy switch on a control panel, CPU reads the number of rotations of a photoreceptor drum from a memory of the drum cartridge, and updates a count of a counter C with the number of rotations read. When the copy switch is operated, CPU derives a grid voltage corresponding to the count of counter C from a relationship between the number of rotations of photoreceptor drum and the grid voltage of the electrostatic charger pre-stored in ROM, executes an image forming process by setting the grid voltage derived to a high-voltage source, and adds the number of rotations of photoreceptor drum made in the current image forming process to the count of counter C.

Abstract: This present invention relates to a filter element for the filtration of printing fluid within a printer cartridge of a printer. The filter element of the present invention includes a microporous filter media that removes contaminants from printing fluids such as ink, dye, wax, or the like.

Abstract: The present invention is featured that a developing apparatus has an elastic member provided on a side of a leakage preventing member which is supported by a developing container, and that the elastic member is provided so as to overlap an overlapping portion between the leakage preventing member and a developer regulating member on an end portion in a lengthwise direction of the developing container.

Abstract: A charged roller type electrophotographic copying apparatus capable of operating over a long term, in which durability of the apparatus is increased by bringing the charged roll into surface-contact with the photosensitive drum at low contact pressure will be supplied. In a charged roller type electrophotographic copying apparatus, the charged roller is endless tubular film of polyamide elastomer having a surface resistance value of 103 to 1013 &OHgr;/□, and is provided so as to come into surface-contact with a photoreceptor at its contact width therewith of 1.5 to 7 mm during copying.

Abstract: A sheet detecting device for contacting with a sheet being conveyed and detecting the sheet is provided with a first moving member urged and moved by the sheet being moved, N (N.gtoreq.

Abstract: A voltage applying apparatus for applying from a power source a voltage to a rotatable charging member for charging a body to be charged, includes first and second conductive members brought into contact with a peripheral surface of a rotary shaft of the charging member to form a first electric supply path for applying the voltage to the peripheral surface of the rotary shaft through the first conductive member from the power source, and to form a second electric supply path for applying the voltage to the peripheral surface of the rotary shaft through the second conductive member from the power source. A first portion at which the first conductive member is brought into contact with the peripheral surface of the rotary shaft and a second portion at which the second conductive member is brought into contact with the peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, are so provided as to be overlapped with each other in an axial direction of the rotary shaft.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, such as an electrophotography-basis copying machine or laser printer, ribs are provided on and along both side ends of the inner surface of an intermediate transfer belt. Rib guides are provided on both ends of a drive roll. The ribs are brought into contact with the rib guides, whereby the intermediate transfer belt is guided. The diameter of each rib guide is slightly larger than the diameter of the drive roll, to thereby form a gap between the drive roll and the intermediate transfer belt. In a region including the gap and its vicinity, a friction created between the drive roll and the intermediate transfer belt is reduced. Therefore, thrust of each rib against each rib guide, caused by the walk, is reduced.

Abstract: A fixing belt is applied to a fixing apparatus of an electronic photography type printer. The fixing belt consists of a belt base and an elastic layer having a thickness of 200 .mu.m or more formed on the belt base. The elastic layer consists of first, second and third elastic layers arranged in that order from the base side, and is deformable to conform to the surface shape of a recording paper so that all unfixed toner held on the recording paper can be pressed. The second elastic layer is a barrier layer for preventing releasing agent from permeating and the belt from swelling to suppress the thickening of the elastic layer as a whole and maintain the belt thickness within a range that does not cause any image noises.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for conveying recording material. The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a recording material convey belt for bearing and conveying a recording material, a roller for supporting the recording material convey belt and having an insulation layer, and an electricity removal device for removing electricity from the insulation layer. The toner image on the image bearing member is electrostatically transferred onto the recording material borne by the recording material convey belt, and the roller supports the recording material convey belt at a separation position where the recording material is separated from the recording material convey belt.

Abstract: When the upper case of the developing device is pushed from above, the upper case may be deformed producing a negatively activated pressure corresponding to the deformed volume of the case, thereby dispersing toner along with the air. When the developing device is mounted to or dismounted from the color image forming apparatus, the dispersed toner may fall out of the developing device. To prevent the toner from falling out of the developing device, the toner carrier and the limiting member for limiting the toner layer thickness are held in the developer case and a falling toner receiver is formed which is recessed in the developer case in the longitudinal and widthwise directions of the toner carrier and the limiting member for limiting the toner layer thickness. The falling toner is collected in the receiver, preventing the device from being contaminated with the falling toner and facilitating the cleaning of the device.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a developing apparatus having a supply screw and a recovery screw both of which are arranged vertically to circulate developer, wherein a component in a normal direction of pressure generated by the recovery screw is made larger than that of pressure generated by the supply screw. Thereby, lowering and raising of developer is suppressed and occurrence of fog on the image and the smoke of toner are prevented. Alternatively, a radial member and a centrifugal member are applied to the supply screw and the recovery screw, respectively. Thereby, developer is prevented from moving between screws in the midst of the transportation. Still alternatively, a preliminary stirring portion is provided on extension of a stirring screw at upperstream side. The preliminary stirring portion has a cylindrical body with inlets and outlets. Both inside and outside of the cylindrical body, screws are provided and inclines of screw blades are reversed to each other.

Abstract: A developer amount detecting apparatus includes a light emitting device, a light receiving device, threshold value setting device for setting a threshold value on the basis of an intensity of the light received by the light receiving device, and a detector for detecting an amount of a developer within the developer within the developer container on the basis of the threshold value and the intensity of the light received by the light receiving device.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including a revolver type developing unit, a cover member surrounds a plurality of developing sections arranged on the developing unit. The cover member is formed with an opening at a developing position facing a photoconductive belt or similar image carrier, and ribs extending in the axial direction of a rotary shaft around which the developing sections are arranged. The cover member therefore deforms little and protects developing rollers and other constituents of the developing unit from damage while causing a minimum of toner to fly about.

Abstract: A single pass color printer employs a band drive to move media sheets through plural developer stations. The band drive also provides motive power to drive, in common (via frictional engagement with their respective peripheries), all of the organic photoconductor (OPC) rollers that are present in plural developer stations that are arrayed along the media movement path. The use of the common band drive assures that the surface speeds of the OPC drums and media sheets are synchronized at their respective points of contact, thus eliminating much of the station to station variations due to differences in diameters and runout of the plural OPC rollers.

Abstract: The inventive developing apparatus 10 includes: a developing roller 15 rotating in a predetermined direction; a regulating blade 16 for regulating layer thickness of developer G1 on the developer roller; 15; and a supplying roller 17 disposed at the upper stream than the regulating blade 16 while the developing apparatus 10 rotates in the predetermined direction. Further, the developing apparatus 10 rotates the developing roller 15 in the reverse direction for the predetermined direction during a predetermined period. Thereby, agglomerates stopping at the space between the developing roller 15 and the regulating blade 16 escape therefrom and developer leak and defective supply of developer and the like are cleared away. While the developing roller 15 is rotated in the reverse direction, the agglomerates escaped from the space come to contact with the supplying roller 17 and are crashed by press of the developing roller 15 and the supplying roller 17.

Abstract: A configuration for printing striplike print carriers in a postage meter and/or addressing machine, includes contact-pressure elements secured to a revolving conveyor belt for transporting the print carriers upright and in contact with a guide plate having a printing window. The contact-pressure elements are movable resiliently toward and away from the guide plate and the print carriers are printed by an ink jet print head located behind the printing window. In order to expand a range of use, increase reliability and make it possible to selectively print not only letters but also postage strips or address labels, a strip magazine in an entrance region of the otherwise conventional print carriers, a guide part which is disposed in an insert and is initially concave and then convex in shape, and a spacer part in the printing window, which is adapted to a jet distribution, are disposed at the level of the printing window.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including a housing defining a chamber storing a supply of developer material including toner; a donor member, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting toner on the surface thereof to a region opposed from the imaging surface, said donor member includes an electrode array on the outer surface thereof, said array including a plurality of spaced apart electrodes extending substantial across width of the surface of the donor member; a multi-phase voltage source operatively coupled to said electrode array, the phase being shifted with respect to each other such as to create an electrodynamic wave pattern for moving toner particles to and from a development zone; and a charging device for charging toner on the surface of said donor member.