Abstract: An electrostatic filtering system which allows a steady flow of air into a development housing and prevent toner emission therefrom. The system is used in an apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on a surface includes the housing having a supply of toner therein; a donor member arranged in the housing to transport toner to a development zone adjacent the surface; and electrode for detaching toner from the donor member and produce a toner cloud in the development zone; and an air handling system, associated with the housing, for generating a negative air stream in the housing, the air handling system including the electrostatic filtering system for removing the toner from the negative air stream. The electrostatic filtering system includes a baffle mounted in the housing in the negative air stream and a high voltage DC for applying a bias to the baffle thereby creating an electrostatic field between the baffle and the developer for collecting toner emission.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charger for charging the image bearing member, the charger including a magnetic brush including magnetic particles contacted to the image bearing member; a developing device for developing an electrostatic image on the image bearing member, wherein the developing device includes a developer carrying member which is press-contacted to the image bearing member, and is movable in a direction opposite from a movement direction of the image bearing member at a portion where they are press-contacted to each other.

Abstract: A toner cartridge removably mounted to an image forming apparatus including a developing device. The toner cartridge includes a plurality of toner outlet openings for replenishing toner to the developing device and a plurality of toner collection openings for collecting the toner from the developing device. Further, the plurality of toner outlet openings and the plurality of toner collection openings are arranged substantially in a single array.

Abstract: Featured is a fixing device provided in an image forming device that includes a heat roll, a pressurization roll, an application member and a blade member. The heat roll has a surface that is heated to a desired temperature by a heating source and the pressurization roll presses a recorded medium (e.g., a paper sheet) holding an unfixed image to the heat roll. In this way, the unfixed image is fixed to the recorded medium by passing it between the heat roll and pressurization roll. The application member applies a release agent to the heat roll for preventing adherence of the unfixed image held on the recorded medium to the heat roll, where the release agent is impregnated to the application member and applied to the heat roll by capillary action. The blade member controls the application of the release agent so it is uniformly applied to the heat roll and removes excessive release agent to be applied on the heat roll.

Abstract: A cartridge for an electrophotographic machine having a sump for carrying an agitator rotatably mounted in the sump for engagement with a toner; an encoded device coupled to a first end of the agitator; and a torque sensitive coupling connected to a second end of the agitator which is connectable to a drive mechanism of the machine. The encoded device includes coding representing cartridge characteristic information.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes an image bearing member which is capable of forming a latent electrostatic image thereon, a contact charging member which charges a surface of the image bearing member with the application of electric charges thereto, with the image bearing member and the charging member being in rotation contact, and a non-ozone-generating gas supply device for supplying a non-ozone-generating gas to a chargeable space which extends from a contact position of the contact charging member with the image bearing member and is positioned between (a) a surface of the contact charging memeber and (b) a surface of the image bearing member, with the surfaces facing each other, on an upstream side of the contact position with respect to a rotating direction of the contact charging member, the non-ozone-generating gas being capable of hindering the generation of ozone which is generated in the course of the application of electric charges to the surface of the image bearing member by the contact c

Abstract: A developing device for an electrophotographic apparatus and a developing roller therefor are disclosed. Polarity identical throughout a range between a magnetic conveying pole and a magnetic depositing pole on a sleeve forms a repulsive magnetic field. Therefore, even when the diameter of the sleeve is reduced for the miniaturization of the developing device, a developer can be surely released from the sleeve despite a decrease in the width of a developer releasing portion in the direction of rotation of the sleeve.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus, and a method thereof, that transfers the toner image formed on the photoreceptor to an intermediate transfer belt in a first transfer area during a first transfer. When the first transfers of prescribed toner images to the intermediate transfer belt are completed, the intermediate transfer belt transfers the toner images obtained in the first transfers from the intermediate transfer belt to a recording medium in a second transfer area during a second transfer. Moreover, the area of the intermediate transfer belt that is susceptible to creep buckling (the `creep buckling risk area`) is prevented from passing through the first transfer area during the first transfer, thereby improving the image formation.

Abstract: A method and system media sheet handling in an electrophotographic color desktop printer are disclosed wherein a media sheet is imaged with toner on both sides of the media sheet without smudging or remelting the images. The temperature of the fusing roller and the pressure roller are controlled to keep the pressure roller temperature below the toner cold offset temperature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning toner and/or other contaminant particles from a moving surface to be cleaned in an electrostatographic apparatus includes a cleaning blade, such as a wiper blade or a scraper blade, that engages the surface to be cleaned at a first location to remove the particles from the surface. A dust seal blade is provided that extends toward the surface in a second direction generally opposite to the first direction, which corresponds to the direction of motion of the surface to be cleaned, and is of a length and supported so as to be able to contact the surface to be cleaned at a second location upstream of the first location. The cleaning blade, the dust seal blade and the surface to be cleaned form a cavity for containing contaminant particles to assist in operation of the cleaning blade apparatus.

Abstract: A high slope charging device including a DC portion followed by an AC portion. The high slope device includes an insulative shell housing, an electrode and a corona wire. The electrode is coupled to direct current power source which supplies a constant potential to the electrode thereby generating a corona at the electrode. An alternating current power source supplies an alternating voltage to the corona wire. The high slope device beneficially is designed such that both the electrode and the corona wire charge a charge retentive surface to the same potential.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supplying apparatus which has a sheet supporting device for supporting a sheet, a sheet absorbing device for absorbing the sheet supported by the sheet supporting device by utilizing an absorbing force generated by an absorbing force generating device, and a shift device for shifting the sheet absorbing device to bring the sheet absorbed by the sheet absorbing device to a sheet supply device disposed downstream in a sheet supplying direction. The sheet absorbing device and the shift device receive respective driving forces from the single or common drive source.

Abstract: In a color electrophotographic printing system using a transfer belt, residual toner remains on the surface of the transfer belt after the printing of a page. To prevent print defects from occurring, the residual toner on the surface of the transfer belt must be removed. A transfer belt charge roller driven by a high voltage power supply is used to positively charge the residual toner to permit electrostatic transfer of the residual toner from the surface of the transfer belt to the surface of a photoconductor drum for removal by a cleaning blade. By applying an AC waveform and a positive DC offset, the residual toner is effectively positively charged for electrostatic removal from the transfer belt.

Abstract: A development roller cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning blade installed with an end contacting an outer surface of a development roller for removing an excess developer liquid therefrom, and a guide for guiding an excess developer liquid removed by a squeegee roller installed downstream from the development roller to the end of the cleaning blade.

Abstract: The invention provides a belt type photosensitive member cleaning apparatus for a wet type image forming apparatus which can effectively remove liquid developer pressed out by a pair of pressing out rollers for removing remaining liquid developer from a belt like photosensitive member after developed to prevent such liquid developer from flowing out and soiling to a window for a sensor or the photosensitive member. Each of the pressing out rollers provided in a stage next to a first pressing out roller has grooves formed at the opposite end portions thereof such that liquid developer which tends to be pressed out from the opposite ends of each of the second pressing out rollers is collected in the grooves.

Abstract: A transfer device which transfers a developer image formed on a surface of a photoreceptor drum to a transfer sheet is arranged so as to include a transfer drum for carrying the transfer sheet on a peripheral surface thereof, an electrode roller which can be moved to contact the transfer drum via the transfer sheet, and which can be moved apart from the transfer drum, and a control section for controlling contact start conditions between the transfer drum and the electrode roller. When the transfer sheet passes a spacing between the transfer drum and the electrode roller, the control section controls the contact start conditions in such a manner that a force is not exerted to a leading end portion of the transfer sheet from the electrode roller so as to separate the leading end portion from the transfer drum.

Abstract: In the present invention, in forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of an image carrying member, holding ink in an ink carrying member in an ink developing device, and supplying the ink to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrying member, to form an ink image on the image carrying member, the critical surface tension on the surface of the image carrying member is larger than the surface tension of the ink.

Abstract: A fusing station of an electrographic apparatus fixes in a single pass a duplex resinous powder color image to a support material as the support material is moved over a predetermined path through the fusing station. The fusing station employs a symmetrical fixing operation on both sides of the support material. The fusing station applies hot air to both sides of the support material in substantially equal flows. The hot air is heated by heating sources with substantially identical operational characteristics such that the flows of hot air are heated to substantially equal temperatures on both sides of the support material.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus provides the prolonged life of the photosensitive drums, carrier belt, and toner of the respective colors and improves the quality of the printed color image. A carrier belt transports a recording medium placed thereon so that the recording medium passes through a plurality of printing mechanisms which print images of different colors on the recording medium in superposition. Each printing mechanism prints an image of a corresponding color. The printing mechanism is adapted to be moved into its operative position where the photosensitive drum of the printing mechanism is in contact with the carrier belt to print the image on the recording medium, and into its non-operative position where the photosensitive drum of the printing mechanism is not in contact with the carrier belt.

Abstract: A system capable of suppressing the variation of a conveyance speed of a medium occurring when the rear end of the medium gets away from between a pair of rollers to surely and stably conduct the processing (transfer of a visible image) for the medium in a processing section (a transfer position). Accordingly, this system includes a position detecting section for detecting a position of the medium conveyed, and a control section for, when the position detecting section detects the fact that the rear end of the medium exists at a position immediately before getting away from between resist rollers, executing control so that a medium conveyance speed by the resist rollers becomes equal or substantially equal to a medium conveyance speed by conveyance rollers. This system is applicable to printers including an electrophotographic system.