Abstract: To provide a color identification method capable of identifying a color-coded color region by a simple method. By using a method for measuring a distance to an object to be measured based on a principle of triangulation by using LED light, irradiating a position where a color of a color-coded plane changes with the LED light, receiving reflected light by a light receiving unit provided in a direction same as a direction where the color of the plane changes, and comparing an output signal from the light receiving unit at that time with an output signal obtained from the light receiving unit when a position where a color does not change is irradiated with the LED light, it is possible to identify a color change position of the color-coded plane.

Abstract: A Faraday cage includes a casing structured by a first housing having a first outer cover made of a conductive material, and a first inner cover made of a conductive material, which is accommodated in the first outer cover and is electrically insulated from the first outer cover, and a second housing having a second outer cover made of a conductive material, which fits the first outer cover, and a second inner cover made of a conductive material, which is accommodated in the second outer cover and is electrically insulated from the second outer cover, the first and second housings being separable from each other; and a filter cartridge disposed inside the casing configured to be separable into two pieces, which accommodates therein a first filter for collecting fine particles sucked in from the outside the casing.

Abstract: A Faraday cage includes a casing structured by a first housing having a first outer cover made of a conductive material, and a first inner cover made of a conductive material, which is accommodated in the first outer cover and is electrically insulated from the first outer cover, and a second housing having a second outer cover made of a conductive material, which fits the first outer cover, and a second inner cover made of a conductive material, which is accommodated in the second outer cover and is electrically insulated from the second outer cover, the first and second housings being separable from each other; and a filter cartridge disposed inside the casing configured to be separable into two pieces, which accommodates therein a first filter for collecting fine particles sucked in from the outside the casing.

Abstract: An intermediate belt made of an endless belt is provided by 45 degrees inclined horizontally and looped over two rollers at both its ends, and four photosensitive drums are provided in contact with the top surface of this intermediate belt. A reflection mirror is provided over each photosensitive drum, and a single polygon mirror is provided on almost the same level as these reflection mirrors. The polygon mirror is provided on the side of the reflection mirror of which optical path to the corresponding photosensitive drum is the longest so that the optical path lengths from the polygon mirror to the respective photosensitive drums are equal to each other.

Abstract: An intermediate belt made of an endless belt is provided by 45 degrees inclined horizontally and looped over two rollers at both its ends, and four photosensitive drums are provided in contact with the top surface of this intermediate belt. A reflection mirror is provided over each photosensitive drum, and a single polygon mirror is provided on almost the same level as these reflection mirrors. The polygon mirror is provided on the side of the reflection mirror of which optical path to the corresponding photosensitive drum is the longest so that the optical path lengths from the polygon mirror to the respective photosensitive drums are equal to each other.

Abstract: Liquid developer of different colors capable of being formed in a film shape are used to form developed images on a plurality of photosensitive drums 10. The developed images are successively transferred from the photosensitive drums 10 onto an image carrier belt 1 so as to be overlaid on one another while applying an electrostatic force. In the color developed image formed on the image carrier belt 1, the solid component ratio of the liquid developer is increased to form the color developed image into a film shape, which is transferred and fixed to a recording medium.

Abstract: A toner concentration detecting apparatus, which can accurately detect a toner concentration of a developer without being influenced by ions, is provided. A first electrode and a second electrode are disposed face to face with a developer between the electrodes. First, a voltage of a first power supply is applied to the electrodes. After a designated time, by switching means, a voltage of a second power supply, whose polarity is different from the first power supply, is applied to the electrodes. By using a changing of current flowing between the electrodes caused by the difference between the transferring speed of toner particles and that of ions after switching the polarity of the power supply, a toner concentration calculating means calculates the toner concentration of the developer by using a table showing the relation between a peak value by the toner particles and the toner concentration. With this, the toner concentration can be calculated accurately.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus including an electrostatic latent image formation body, a latent image forming unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic latent image formation body, and a belt-shaped image carrier with an inner surface in contact with the electrostatic latent image formation body for transferring the electrostatic latent image to the belt-shaped image carrier. A developing unit supplies a liquid developer containing toner particles and carrier liquid to a surface of the belt-shaped image carrier which is not in contact with the electrostatic latent image formation body. A solvent removal unit removes the carrier liquid from the developed image so as to form a toner-developed image. A transfer-fixation block transfers and fixes the toner-developed image from the belt-shaped image carrier onto a recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus using a liquid developer, which can be used for a long time without considering a swelling of a photoconductor material caused by the liquid developer and a heating characteristic of the photo-conductor material, is provided.

Abstract: In a color image forming device including a modification executing section 12, a recording medium indicating section 14, an optimized data section 16, and an optical system 18, the modification executing section 12 modifies the color image data into the optimized data to be stored in the optimized data section 16, in response to indication of a type of a recording medium from the recording medium indicating section 14. The optical system 18 carries out exposure in response to the data from the optimized data section 16. Thus, an image having a uniform quality is formed in color image formation on various types of recording media.

Abstract: A tandem type multi-color image forming apparatus capable of outputting a multi-color image can improve output speed of a monochrome or limited color image output. The image forming apparatus includes a single laser beam source, a plurality of image forming units, and a single polygon body. The polygon body is provided with the plurality of reflector surfaces respectively corresponded to the plurality of image forming units. The apparatus also includes an optical path selecting optical system movable into optical paths of the laser beam reflected from the rotary polygon body for deflecting the laser beam reflected from the rotary polygon body toward selected limited number of image forming units and a control portion for varying operation speed of the selected limited number of image forming units.

Abstract: A color image is displayed by using a display panel with a color pattern layer which is formed on one side of a transparent substrate and has, for example, three separate sets of transparent pixel areas in red, green and blue colors which constitute a regularly repetitive pattern and a set of opaque band-like areas by which each pixel area is bordered. The display panel further comprises, usually on the opposite side of the substrate, either a thermal recording layer which exhibits reversible changes in transmittance with temperature or a magnetic recording layer which contains flaky particles of a ferromagnetic metal dispersed in a polymer and exhibits reversible changes in transmittance with orientations of the flaky particles.

Abstract: In order to detect a toner density in a liquid developer accurately while lowering the influence of ions on the liquid developer, the toner density detecting apparatus 11 detects a toner density in a liquid developer obtained by mixing charged toner particles in a carrier solution. The first and second electrodes 12 and 13 are opposed to each other with a liquid developer therebetween and connected to the first DC power source (V.sub.1) thereby to apply the first electrical field to the liquid developer. The toner density detecting apparatus 11 further includes the third and fourth electrodes 14 and 15 opposed to each other in the direction orthogonal approximately to the direction in which the first and second electrodes 12 and 13 are opposed to each other and connected to the second power sources (V.sub.2, V.sub.3, V.sub.4) thereby to apply the second electrical field.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image transfer part openable frontward about the lower portion of the apparatus, and a belt part openable upward about the rear portion of the apparatus. With this configuration, the apparatus promotes easy handling of a paper jam and efficient maintenance.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a supply roller 4 supplies a liquid developer to the photo-conductive substance of a photosensitive drum or belt prior to an electrostatic latent image forming process. The supply roller 4 is applied with a voltage dentical in polarity with the charge of toner in the liquid developer, and the liquid developer is uniformly supplied to the surface of a photo-conductive substance to form a liquid developer layer. An exposure unit 6 selectively exposes the photo-conductive substance from the upside of the liquid developer layer in accordance with the image information, to thereby weaken an adhesion of the toner in an exposed area of the liquid developer to the photo-conductive substance. A removing roller 8 is applied with a voltage opposite in polarity to the toner charge to attract and recover the toner weakened in the adhesion by an electric field.

Abstract: A low-cost non-contact type charging device having excellent uniform charging performance and long stable charging characteristic includes an insulating support body having an insulating surface, first electrodes, to which a first voltage is applied, and second electrodes, to which a second voltage is applied. The first electrodes and the second electrodes, isolated from each other, are alternately formed, in non-parallel to a relative moving direction between a charging member and a charged body. Further, the first electrodes and the second electrodes are provided at respective positions in a width in the relative moving direction of the charging member, and moved close to the charged body in a non-contact state.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printer apparatus for printing a color image is provided with a receptive layer for recording an electrostatic latent image and a developer unit for applying the toners of a number of colors to the electrostatic latent image. Also provided are an intermediate transfer medium to which toner images formed in a layered form on the receptive layer are transferred, and a power supply for applying a difference in potential between the intermediate transfer medium and the receptive layer. Further provided are a current detector for detecting a value of an electric current flowing across the intermediate transfer medium and the receptive layer, and a transfer unit for transferring the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer medium to a recording medium.

Abstract: A developer is stored in a developer storing section arranged above, below or beside an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. A carrying path, provided on its surface with a mechanism to generate an electric field curtain, carries the developer from the developer storing section toward the image carrier. One end of the carrying path is arranged within the storing section and the other end, in the vicinity of the image carrier. As mechanism to generate the electric field curtain, a plurality of electrodes are buried in an insulating layer of the carrying path, and an A.C. voltage is applied from outside to these electrodes. A developing electrode section arranged at the end of the carrying path toward the image carrier, opposite to said image carrier and in a downward direction, develops the electrostatic latent image by making the developer carried over the carrying path adhere to the image carrier.

Abstract: An expansion unit for expanding print data from an upper layer device into image data according to predetermined control data, a printing unit for printing the image data on a recording medium according to predetermined process condition control data, and a recording medium conveyor for transporting the medium to the print unit are combined. The expansion unit includes a conversion process unit for receiving an image quality request instruction from an external device and a medium specifying instruction specifying a type of the recording medium transported by the recording medium conveyor, a rational data unit for storing a plurality of expansion control data items and identifying an expansion control data item corresponding to each instruction, and a rational process condition unit for storing a plurality of process condition control data items and identifying a process condition control data item corresponding to each instruction.