Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a latent image forming unit to form an electrostatic latent image on a charged image carrier, a developing device to form a developer image by developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier by a developer and a charge removing unit to discharge the image carrier before transferring the developer image and reduce the electrostatic adsorbing power of the developer image to the image carrier. The charge removing unit includes a charge removing light source to apply the charge removing light to the image carrier and the developer image and the charge removing charger to remove the charge by discharging the image carrier and able to control the discharge output. The charge removing unit is controlled to be adjusted a charge removing capacity.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus using a cleaner/toner magazine (CTM) which has a waste toner tank and a fresh toner tank formed integrally with each other, a cleaning device has a cleaning blade which scrapes off toner left on a photoconductive element with an edge thereof. The toner removed by the cleaning blade is magnetically deposited on a rotatable magnet member whose outer periphery is magnetized. A scraper member contacts the magnet member in the waste toner tank and scrapes off the toner from the magnet member which is in rotation. As a result, the toner is collected in a collection space defined in the waste toner tank.

Abstract: An apparatus has a first conveyor for conveying a recording medium into an image forming unit which forms an image on a recording medium, a second conveyor for re-conveying the recording medium having an image formed thereon by the image forming unit to the second conveyor, and a curl straightener, formed by a plurality of rollers forming a bent path within the second conveyor, for straightening the curl on the recording medium. The conveyance speed of the second conveyor is switchable between a first speed equal to the conveyance speed of the first conveyor and a second speed which is greater than the first speed. The first speed is the speed of the recording medium until at least a predetermined length of the recording medium passes the curl straightener, and the second speed is the speed of the recording medium after passage therethrough.

Abstract: A carrier recovery apparatus of a liquid electrophotographic printer includes a condenser for condensing a gas carrier recovered from a photoreceptor belt, a filtering tube having a cavity, whose first end is connected to the condenser, and whose second end has a plurality of throughholes leading to the cavity radially formed thereat, a filter bonded on the outer surface of the filtering tube and which filters the gas carrier contained in air passing through the throughholes, and an exhaust tube having an internal diameter larger than the outer diameter of the filtering tube, and whose first end is tightly fitted to the second end of the filtering tube to which the filter is coupled, for exhausting the air to the outside.

Abstract: A conformable bias transfer member for use in an electrostatographic printing apparatus comprising a conductive core having a layer of compressible material coated thereon to form a generally cylindrical roll member. The compressible material includes a conductive filler dispersed throughout the interstices thereof for providing conductivity control which is significantly insensitive to changes in temperature as well as relative humidity.

Abstract: A communication control device connected between an image forming apparatus and a communication line in an image forming apparatus supervising system which connects the image forming apparatus and a host machine by the communication line. Assume that particular data of an image forming apparatus and updated day by day should be read periodically. Then, even when the power supply to the image forming apparatus is shut off, a host machine can access the apparatus to read the data which should be read periodically, and receive it. In addition, the data can be preserved until the next time for reading.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet has a first conveyance path for guiding the sheet, and a second conveyance path arranged in continuation from the first conveyance path to guide the sheet conveyed from the first conveyance path. A conveyor drum, which may be an image transfer drum, retains the sheet on its surface and conveys the sheet such that the sheet moves along said second conveyance path. The drum and the second conveyance path are supported such that they can be moved in a direction which intersects the direction of sheet conveyance, so as to be drawn out of the main part of the apparatus. A sheet jam detector is provided for detecting a sheet jam at a predetermined position which is on the drum and which is spaced from the inlet of the second conveyance path by a distance greater than the length of the sheet which has the greatest length among the sheets which are to be handled by the apparatus, as measured along the second path.

Abstract: In a continuous form printer, a passage of the leading edge of the sheet is detected by a top sensor located along a feeding path thereof. If the top sensor detects the leading edge of the sheet while the sheet is fed in a reverse direction, the control unit of the printer determines whether the detection of the leading edge by the top sensor is correct or not, by feeding the sheet once in the forward direction and then feeding the sheet in the reverse direction and by checking whether the top sensor again detects the leading edge of the sheet being fed in the reverse direction.

Abstract: A single pass, multi-color electrostatographic printer includes a transfer member which is driven along a continuous path. Several toner images of different colors are electrostatically deposited in powder form in registration with each other on the transfer member to form a multiple toner image thereon. A substrate is fed into contact with the transfer member. The multiple toner image is thereby transferred to at least one face of the substrate. The printer includes heaters for heating the multiple toner image on the transfer member in advance of the transfer of the image to the substrate and cooling devices for cooling the transfer member following the transfer of the multiple toner image therefrom to the substrate to a temperature below the glass transition temperature T.sub.g of the toner, prior to the deposition of further toner images on the transfer member.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting a printed sheet discharged from an image forming machine includes a plurality of bins arranged in a vertical direction; a conveyer provided vertically along the plurality of bins to convey the printed sheet vertically downward; an indexer having a guide surface in its upper portion, being vertically movable along a sheet travel route of the conveyer, for peeling the printed sheet off the conveyer with the guide surface and sending the printed sheet in either one of the plurality of bins; a controller connecting for driving the conveyer and the indexer; and an operating panel-connecting to the controller.

Abstract: A toner container for use in an image forming apparatus having a toner receiving section, includes a cylindrical container body in which toner is stored, the cylindrical container body having a toner discharging end and provided with a spiral rib provided on its inner circumferential surface so that toner is conveyed toward the toner discharging end by the spiral rib when the cylindrical container body is rotated, the cylindrical container body further having a cylindrical portion with a discharging port on the toner discharging end; and a sleeve member mounted around the cylindrical portion so that the discharging port is closed by the sleeve member, the sleeve member movable in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion so that when the toner container is attached to the toner receiving section of the image forming apparatus, the sleeve member is moved so as to open the toner discharging port.

Abstract: In an electrostatic image forming apparatus, including a corona discharger located so as to face an image carrier on which a toner image is to be formed. When a paper or similar recording medium is brought between the image carrier and the discharger, the discharger effects corona discharge at the rear of the recording medium so as to charge the medium to a polarity opposite to the polarity of the toner image. The toner image is transferred from the image carrier to the recording medium. A polarity switcher allows a voltage of substantially the same polarity as the toner to be applied to a discharge wire included in the discharger. The apparatus is free from defective discharge and defective image transfer ascribable to the deposition of free or isolated toner on the discharger.

Abstract: A color printer for forming color toner images on a sheet of paper includes a photoconductive belt for bearing an electrostatic latent image thereon, a plurality of developing devices, and an intermediate transfer belt for forming composite toner images thereon. The intermediate transfer belt and the developing devices face each other across the photoconductive belt. The color printer further includes a front frame which is provided adjacent the intermediate transfer medium, a paper feed device which is provided in a lower position of the apparatus, and a paper output tray which is provided in a upper position of the apparatus. A paper transporting path between the paper feed device and the paper output tray is provided between the intermediate transfer belt and the front frame.

Abstract: A cooling unit is provided to an image forming device. The image forming device includes a process unit having a photosensitive body on which is formed an electrostatic latent image and a developing unit for forming a toner image on the photosensitive body based on the electrostatic latent image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a sheet; and a fixing unit that thermally fixes the toner image onto the sheet, the process unit and the fixing unit having facing surfaces that face each other. The cooling unit itself includes: an airflow duct disposed between the facing surfaces of the process unit and the fixing unit and formed with at least either process-unit-side holes facing the process unit or fixing-unit-side holes facing the fixing unit; and a cooling fan that draws air from around a corresponding one of the process unit and the fixing unit through the process-unit-side, the fixing-unit-side holes, or both, through the airflow duct, and out of the image forming device.

Abstract: A two-sided copying apparatus includes: an image forming device for forming an image on a recording sheet; a fixing device for fixing the image on the recording sheet; a branching device for branching the recording sheet on which the image was fixed by the fixing device to eject outside the apparatus or to feed again inside the apparatus for a two-sided image formation; a plurality of holding devices each for holding one edge of the recording sheet fed again inside the apparatus, wherein the holding device temporarily stops while holding the recording sheet and feeds again in a reverse direction onto a transfer station; and a supporting and guiding device for supporting and guiding the plurality of the holding devices.

Abstract: A control circuit for outputting a signal for controlling an amount of light emitted from a plurality of light emitting elements. The control circuit includes a controller or CPU, and a D/A converter outputting a signal for setting a voltage in multiple gradation in accordance with a lighting state of the light emitting element. An amplifying circuit amplifies an output of the D/A converter and outputs an amplified output as a control signal. A reference voltage generating circuit generates a reference voltage and a comparator compares the control signal with the reference voltage. The controller varies an output of the D/A converter based on the result of comparison by the comparator, to adjust the output of the D/A converter so that the control signal is equivalent to the reference voltage. Accordingly each voltage is reset in the multiple gradation to allow the light emitting element to appropriately emit light based on the adjusted output.

Abstract: A development station for an electrostatographic reproduction apparatus wherein pigmented marking particles from a particulate material mixture of pigmented marking particles and magnetic carrier particles are utilized to develop latent image charge patterns on a dielectric member. The development station has a housing adapted to be located adjacent to a dielectric member. The housing defines a reservoir for a particulate material mixture, and an opening facing such dielectric member. A mixer for mixing particulate material, a magnetic brush for applying pigmented marking particles from such particulate material mixture to a latent image charge pattern to develop such charge pattern, and a transport for transporting such particulate material from the mixer to the magnetic brush are located within the housing. A device is provided for collecting contaminating airborne particulate material contamination. The contamination collecting device includes an elongated tube, located externally of the housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for electrostatically transferring a toner image from a toner image bearing member (TIBM) to a receiver sheet is disclosed. A receiver sheet is moved within a nip defined between a transfer roller having a resistive outer layer and a toner image bearing member supporting a toner image. To provide for transfer, there is applied an electrical bias to the resistive layer from a conductive member located beneath the resistive layer and in electrical contact with the resistive layer. There are also applied to an outer surface of the resistive layer a first contact voltage to establish an post-nip electrical voltage distribution to a post-nip region of the transfer roller that is immediately downstream of an in-nip region. The post-nip electrical voltage distribution is accomplished by having the first contact voltage be applied at first points on the outer layer of the transfer roller, the first points being within or proximate the post-nip region.

Abstract: An electrophotographic type image forming device having a developing roller and a photosensitive drum. A nip portion is provided therebetween for supplying developing agents from the developing roller to the photosensitive drum. The developing roller and the photosensitive drum are rotated in the same rotational direction, i.e, a peripheral moving direction of the developing roller is opposite to peripheral moving direction of the photosensitive drum at the nip portion, so that toners provide vivid mobility at or adjacent the nip portion so as to cancel Van der Waals attraction force, and so that the toners can be attracted to the photosensitive drum only by applied electrical field. Developing is performed immediately upstream of the nip portion in rotational direction of the developing roller, and residual toners are collected by the developing roller immediately downstream of the nip portion for collecting and reusing the residual toners.

Abstract: A system for restricting the copying of a color-reversal document having one or more microdots embedded in the color-reversal document. The system of detecting the presence of one or more of the embedded microdots and controllably disabling a copy machine to prevent it from copying the color-reversal document when at least one microdot is detected.