Abstract: Image data is inputted from a data processing means 123 into storage means 124 so that light emitting elements of one line 128a of a light-emitting element (yellow) line head 128 are activated to expose pixels on an image carrier according to an output signal form a shift resistor 124a. The image carrier is moved in the direction of arrow X in such a manner that the pixels reach a position corresponding to the light emitting elements in a next line 128b. At this point of time, the image data are transmitted to a shift resistor 124b and then outputted to the line 128b so as to expose the pixels again. The image data are transmitted among the shift resistors sequentially by moving the image carrier, thereby sequentially repeatedly expose the same pixels.

Abstract: A nip pressure at an inlet site of a nip portion 69 is higher than a nip pressure at an exit site of the nip portion 69. Thus, the relatively higher nip pressure is applied to a recording medium 4 at the inlet site of the nip portion 69 thereby squeezing out a carrier liquid L from space between toner particles T and between the recording medium 4 and the toner T. Hence, the amount of carrier liquid L remaining in the spaces is notably decreased. The recording medium 4 with a decreased amount of carrier liquid L carried thereon is moved to the exit site of the nip portion 69, where the toner T is brought into pressure contact with one side S1 of the recording medium 4 thereby to be fixed to the recording medium 4.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image is formed on a rotary image carrier. A developing roller is separatably abutted on the image carrier to supply toner onto the image carrier to make the latent image visible as a toner image. An intermediate transfer member is adapted to temporarily hold the toner image. A first transferer presses the intermediate transfer member against the image carrier to define a primary transfer position therebetween, so that the toner image on the image carrier is transferred to the intermediate transfer member. A second transferer is separatably abutted on the intermediate transfer member to transfer the toner image on the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium.

Abstract: A device and method of forming an image. The image forming apparatus transfers a toner image formed on an image carrier onto a recording medium and fixes, at a predetermined fixing temperature, a toner image transferred onto the recording medium. After a toner image has been transferred and fixed on one side surface of the recording medium, a toner image is transferred and fixed on the other side surface of the recording medium. A fixing temperature for fixing a toner image on one side surface of the recording medium is 100° C. or lower and a transfer condition for transferring a toner image on one side surface of the recording medium is the same as a transfer condition for transferring a toner image on the other side surface of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: at least an image carrier of which rotary shafts extending from both ends thereof are rotatably supported on an apparatus body by bearings; and a charging roller having gap members fixed to both end portions thereof, respectively, wherein the gap members are brought in contact with the peripheral surface of the image carrier with some pressure to form a charge gap between the image carrier and the charging roller so that the charging roller charges the image carrier in non-contact state with the charge gap, and wherein the gap members are each formed to have a small-diameter portion on the inside thereof and a large-diameter portion on the outside thereof such that the respective small-diameter portions are positioned to face each other.

Abstract: A charging roller, adapted to face an image carrier at a predetermined charging gap and charge the image carrier in a non-contact state, including: a conductive shaft, provided with a pair of annular concave portions formed on an outer circumferential surface at both ends thereof; a conductive layer, formed on the outer circumference surface at a center portion of the conductive shaft defined between the pair of concave portions; and an insulating layer, formed on the outer circumferential surface at outer portions of the conductive shaft from the pair of annular concave portions.

Abstract: A CPU 113 executes a control program stored in a memory 116, whereby a patch image is formed on a photosensitive member of a photosensitive member unit 10, a light emitter 171 irradiates light upon the patch image, a light receiver 172 receives light from the patch image, whether a received-light signal from the light receiver 172 is within a tolerable range is determined, and an image forming condition is controlled and stored in the memory 116 when the received-light signal is outside the tolerable range. Upon entry of a print instruction signal from an external apparatus via a main controller 100, a printing operation is executed under the image forming condition stored in the memory 116.

Abstract: A CPU 113 executes a control program stored in a memory 116 thereby forming a plurality of patch images with a developing bias increased for each of the patch images; detecting a density of each of the patch images by means of a patch sensor 17; and comparing the image densities to determine whether the image density is saturated or not. Then, an image forming condition in which an image density is substantially saturated is determined and is stored in the memory 116. When a print command signal is inputted from an external device via a main controller 100, a printing operation is performed under the image forming condition stored in the memory 116.

Abstract: A CPU 113 executes a control program stored in a memory 116, whereby a patch image is formed on a photosensitive member of a photosensitive member unit 10, a light emitter 171 irradiates light upon the patch image, a light receiver 172 receives light from the patch image, whether a received-light signal from the light receiver 172 is within a tolerable range is determined, and an image forming condition is controlled and stored in the memory 116 when the received-light signal is outside the tolerable range. Upon entry of a print instruction signal from an external apparatus via a main controller 100, a printing operation is executed under the image forming condition stored in the memory 116.

Abstract: A CPU 113 executes a control program stored in a memory 116 thereby forming a plurality of patch images with a developing bias increased for each of the patch images; detecting a density of each of the patch images by means of a patch sensor 17; and comparing the image densities to determine whether the image density is saturated or not. Then, an image forming condition in which an image density is substantially saturated is determined and is stored in the memory 116. When a print command signal is inputted from an external device via a main controller 100, a printing operation is performed under the image forming condition stored in the memory 116.

Abstract: A proximity charger roller is disposed in proximity to a surface of an image carrier and uniformly charges an effective charging area of the image carrier. Abutting portions abut on the image carrier at its both edges which are located on the outer side of the effective charging area, thereby maintaining the proximity distance between the circumferential surface of the proximity charger roller and the image carrier constant. A cleaning roller is longer than the spacing between the abutting portions which are at the both edges, abuts on the abutting portions which are at the both edges, and presses with predetermined pressing force in the direction of the image carrier. The surface of the cleaning roller is made of a soft material and cleans a surface area between the two abutting portions of the proximity charger roller.

Abstract: A developing method, including the steps of: carrying one-component non-magnetic toner on a developer carrier; pressing the one-component non-magnetic toner by a regulating member so as to regulate a transporting quantity of the one-component non-magnetic toner so that the one-component non-magnetic toner is charged; forming an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier; providing the one-component non-magnetic toner to the electrostatic latent image so as to convert the electrostatic latent image into a visible toner image; and controlling the one-component non-magnetic toner so that the one-component non-magnetic toner pressed by the regulating member satisfies the following relationship: B/A?1, where A represents a width [?m] of a particle size distribution of the one-component non-magnetic toner; and B represents a width [fC] of a charge quantity distribution of the one-component non-magnetic toner.

Abstract: As an urging member 50 urges a front surface side roller 48 against a back surface side roller 45, the front surface side roller 48 and the back surface side roller 45 bring an intermediate transfer belt 41 and a recording medium 4 into pressure contact with each other at a secondary transfer position 49. The thermal capacity per unit surface area of each one of the front surface side roller 48 and the back surface side roller 45 is larger than the thermal capacity per unit surface area of the intermediate transfer belt 41. Further, the thermal capacity per unit surface area of the back surface side roller 45 is larger than the thermal capacity per unit surface area of the front surface side roller 48.

Abstract: An image carrier cartridge 25 comprises at least one image carrier 20 rotatably supported and exposure means 23 disposed at an exposure position for the image carrier 20 and the image carrier cartridge 25 is designed to be detachable relative to the body of an image forming apparatus. The exposure means 23 comprises an organic EL light emitting element array and an imaging optical system disposed in front of the organic EL light emitting element array, and a light shielding member 52, 53 for shielding ultraviolet rays is provided around the exposure means 23. According to this structure, in the image carrier cartridge to which organic EL array exposure heads as the exposure means are attached, the organic EL array exposure heads can be prevented from being deteriorated due to ultraviolet rays.

Abstract: In a writing head for forming an electrostatic latent image on a cylindrical image carrier, a plurality of writing electrodes are arranged on a first face of a film substrate in a first direction parallel with an axial direction of the image carrier. The writing electrodes are adapted to be abutted against an outer periphery of the image carrier to provide electric charges thereto. A first wiring member are arranged on the first face of the film substrate to supply signals from a first electrode driver to a first electrode group in the writing electrodes. A second writing member are arranged on a second face of the film substrate to supply signals from a second electrode driver to the second electrode group in the writing electrodes.

Abstract: A nip pressure at an inlet site of a nip portion 69 is higher than a nip pressure at an exit site of the nip portion 69. Thus, the relatively higher nip pressure is applied to a recording medium 4 at the inlet site of the nip portion 69 thereby squeezing out a carrier liquid L from space between toner particles T and between the recording medium 4 and the toner T. Hence, the amount of carrier liquid L remaining in the spaces is notably decreased. The recording medium 4 with a decreased amount of carrier liquid L carried thereon is moved to the exit site of the nip portion 69, where the toner T is brought into pressure contact with one side S1 of the recording medium 4 thereby to be fixed to the recording medium 4.

Abstract: A liquid development apparatus utilizes wet development as a development method and an image forming technique. The apparatus uses squeegee rollers, disposed facing a developer roller, and moved to adjacent positions at which the squeegee rollers contact a liquid developer which is on the developer roller. Density adjustment bias generators are connected between the developer roller and the squeegee rollers. The density adjustment bias generators include, among other things, positive bias power source parts, negative bias power source parts, short-circuit line parts, and switches which switch connections of the respective parts through in accordance with a control signal received from a CPU. A method that the apparatus performs is also provided.

Abstract: As an urging member 50 urges a front surface side roller 48 against a back surface side roller 45, the front surface side roller 48 and the back surface side roller 45 bring an intermediate transfer belt 41 and a recording medium 4 into pressure contact with each other at a secondary transfer position 49. The thermal capacity per unit surface area of each one of the front surface side roller 48 and the back surface side roller 45 is larger than the thermal capacity per unit surface area of the intermediate transfer belt 41. Further, the thermal capacity per unit surface area of the back surface side roller 45 is larger than the thermal capacity per unit surface area of the front surface side roller 48.

Abstract: An exposure head is provided in which light beams from light emitting parts 63 pass through a transparent substrate 62 and are projected on an image carrier. The transparent substrate 62 has plain faces substantially parallel to each other, one of the faces being a face on which the light emitting parts 63 are formed and the other being a face from which light beams are projected. The transparent substrate 62 is provided, at position(s) other than the face on which the light emitting parts 63 are formed and than the face from which light beams are projected, with light quantity detecting means 100 for detecting the quantity of light emitted from said light emitting parts 63.

Abstract: Image data is inputted from a data processing means 123 into storage means 124 so that light emitting elements of one line 128a of a light-emitting element (yellow) line head 128 are activated to expose pixels on an image carrier according to an output signal form a shift resistor 124a. The image carrier is moved in the direction of arrow X in such a manner that the pixels reach a position corresponding to the light emitting elements in a next line 128b. At this point of time, the image data are transmitted to a shift resistor 124b and then outputted to the line 128b so as to expose the pixels again. The image data are transmitted among the shift resistors sequentially by moving the image carrier, thereby sequentially repeatedly expose the same pixels.