Abstract: A development device provided with a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, which are laminated so as to overlap one another in a normal direction with respect to the surface of the roller part of the toner bearing roller. A plurality of openings are provided in the second electrode layer, over the entire latent image bearable area of a photosensitive body in the orthogonal-to-movement direction. The toner on the surface of the roller part is caused to hop between a plurality of spots directly beneath the openings that respectively exist directly beneath the plurality of openings in the second electrode layer, and a plurality of spots between the openings that respectively exist between the plurality of openings in the second electrode layer, within the entire area of the first electrode layer which is uniformly formed in the roller circumferential direction.

Abstract: A developing device for a toner powder cloud development system, which can achieve high image quality and can be made compact. The developing device has a two-component development unit, a toner carrier, and an alternating current power source. The toner carrier, which is arranged opposing a latent image carrier, has a plurality of electrodes disposed in a line in a prescribed direction on the surface thereof, and mutually insulated. The alternating current power source supplies a voltage such that an electric field across the plurality of electrodes is temporally switched. The inter-electrode electric field causes the toner being carried on the surface of the toner carrier to carry out hopping, thereby forming a toner powder cloud and carrying out development. The movement speed of the latent image carrier and the linear velocity of the toner carrier are set at approximately equivalent speeds.

Abstract: A disclosed developing device includes a toner carrying member having electrodes, a toner supply unit supplying the toner to the toner carrying member, and a hopping electric field generator unit generating electric field to cause the toner hopping on the toner carrying member by applying a pulse voltage to the electrodes. The hopping electric field generator unit includes a pulse voltage generator circuit generating the pulse voltage, a first direct-current power source supplying bias to the pulse voltage generator circuit for regulating a peak value of the pulse voltage, and a second direct-current power source having a same polarity with a toner charging polarity, and outputting a variable voltage level. The hopping electric field generator unit controls the peak value of the pulse voltage by changing an output of the first power source and a mean thereof by changing an output of the second power source.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image on a latent image carrier includes a toner carrier and multiple electrodes arranged at intervals on a surface of the toner carrier. A potential difference is formed between even-numbered electrodes and odd-numbered electrodes of the electrodes by applying a first pulse voltage to the even-numbered electrodes and a second pulse voltage to the odd-numbered electrodes so that toner on the surface of the toner carrier moves back and forth between the electrodes, where the first and second pulse voltages are in different phases, and the toner moving back and forth between the electrodes is conveyed to a position facing the latent image carrier by movement of the surface of the toner carrier and thereby caused to adhere to the latent image on the latent image carrier.

Abstract: A development apparatus using a hopping method and an image formation apparatus including the development apparatus are disclosed. The development apparatus includes a toner supporting object for supporting and conveying a toner by a movement of the toner supporting object, while the toner is hopping on a surface of the toner supporting object by an electric field; a regulating member made of a flexible material for constituting a toner thickness regulation position; a latent image supporting object for supporting a latent image; and a development position, which is a position of the toner supporting object, that counters the latent image supporting object; wherein the toner is conveyed through the regulation position to the development position where the toner is adhered to the latent image, and wherein one end of the regulating member is supported, and the other end contacts the toner supporting object.

Abstract: An developer bearer conveys developer to a developing station under influence of an electric field created by an electric flux line. The developer bearer includes plural kinds of electrodes that receive different voltages from each other and collectively creates the electric flux line. The plural kinds of electrodes are arranged on different layers in a normal line of the developer bearer. The developer bearer includes an insulation layer that insulates the plural kinds of electrodes.

Abstract: A disclosed development device includes: a latent image carrier; a conveying member disposed so as to face the latent image carrier, the conveying member having plural electrodes insulated from one another and arranged at predetermined intervals so as to generate an electric field for moving toner on the conveying member; a voltage application unit applying a voltage of n phases (n is a positive integer not less than one) to the electrodes so as to form a cloud of the toner and the toner is adhered to the latent image carrier so as to form a visualized toner image; a toner supply unit supplying the toner to the conveying member; and a height adjusting member adjusting a uniform height for a toner layer of the toner immediately before a development area on the conveying member in which development is performed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pseudo half tone processing unit that performs a pseudo half tone process on input image data to generate output image data. An exposure unit executes light modulation of a plurality of light emitting sources based on the output image data. The exposure unit performs writing in such a way that different numbers of light emitting sources are used when writing a character/line image and a picture image or a graphics image. The pseudo half tone processing unit performs pseudo half tone processes with different resolutions on a character/line image and a picture image or a graphics image based on the numbers of the light emitting sources to be used for the writing by the exposure unit.

Abstract: A developing device configured to form toner cloud without making toner particles adhere to the electrostatic transport substrate having electrodes. By applying periodical voltages to electrodes, electrically charged toner particles float on the electrostatic transport substrate. Also, a rotatable toner transporter designed to carry toner particles floating on the electrostatic transport substrate. Also, a two-component developer bearer including a sleeve with magnets on which the two-component developer is borne. The two-component developer borne on the sleeve is sent to the toner transporter by rotation of the sleeve. There, toner particles are transported to the toner transporter because of the electric bias applied between the two-component developer bearer and the toner transporter. Toner particles electrically floating on the toner transporter are sent to the photoconductor for development.

Abstract: A developing unit for transferring toner onto a latent image on an image carrier so as to develop the latent image includes a toner carrier, an electric field generator and a separating force applicator. The toner carrier including a plurality of electrodes disposed along the surface thereof and insulated from each other transports the toner to a developing area facing the image carrier. The electric field generator applies a periodic voltage to the plurality of electrodes of the toner carrier so that an electric field is generated on the toner carrier surface to cause the toner charged to a given polarity and borne on the surface of the toner carrier to hop. The separating force applicator applies a separating force to separate the toner on the toner carrier from the surface thereof outside the developing area. The separating force applicator is disposed separately from the electric field generator.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member to be heated and a pressure-contacting member for pressure contacting the fixing member. The fixing apparatus directs and conveys a recording member through a nip formed between the fixing member and pressure applying member in such a manner that a toner image carried on a recording member contacts the fixing member in order to be fixed thereto with heat and pressure. The fixing apparatus is configured to direct a tip margin of the recording member toward the pressure applying member across a virtual linear extension line drawn from a downstream end to upstream end of the nip when only the tip margin exits from the nip. A fixing member side separation device may be separately provided from the surface of the fixing apparatus so as to separate the recording member exiting from the nip. A gap formed between the downstream end of the nip and the tip of the fixing member side separation device is set smaller than the width of the tip margin.

Abstract: A method of arranging a plurality of image forming sections, each of which includes a developing device and a cleaning device. The method includes arranging the plurality of image forming sections side by side along an inclined image carrier; and positioning the cleaning device above the developing device of other image forming sections in one of nearby ones of the plurality of image forming sections.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member to be heated and a pressure-contacting member for pressure contacting the fixing member. The fixing apparatus directs and conveys a recording member through a nip formed between the fixing member and pressure applying member in such a manner that a toner image carried on a recording member contacts the fixing member in order to be fixed thereto with heat and pressure. The fixing apparatus is configured to direct a tip margin of the recording member toward the pressure applying member across a virtual linear extension line drawn from a downstream end to upstream end of the nip when only the tip margin exits from the nip. A fixing member side separation device may be separately provided from the surface of the fixing apparatus so as to separate the recording member exiting from the nip. A gap formed between the downstream end of the nip and the tip of the fixing member side separation device is set smaller than the width of the tip margin.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for image fixing are disclosed. A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, a heater, and a pressure controller. The fixing member and the pressure member face with each other to form a nip. The heater heats a surface of the fixing member when the fixing member rotates. The pressure controller changes a pressure generated at the nip, according to an operation of the fixing device.

Abstract: A toner carrying member includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a first direction intersecting with a second direction in which its surface moves. A voltage applying unit applies a bias to the electrodes such that an electric field direction is changed temporally in an alternate manner between adjacent electrodes. An adjusting member adjusts an amount of toner carried on the toner carrying member. A toner-cloud facilitating member includes a conductive member arranged between the toner supplying member and the adjusting member in the second direction in opposite to the toner carrying member.

Abstract: A development device includes an open-ended housing, a rotatable roller, an array of multiple primary electrodes, a voltage source, a sealing member, and a secondary electrode. The housing accommodates toner for application to the photoconductive surface through an end opening thereof. The roller has an outer circumferential surface to deliver the toner from within the housing to a development zone. The array of multiple primary electrodes are aligned with each other on the roller surface. The voltage source applies a periodic pulse voltage to at least a subset of the primary electrodes to generate an oscillating primary electric field. The sealing member seals clearance between the roller surface and an edge of the end opening downstream from the development zone. The secondary electrode generates a secondary electric field to force the toner from the sealing member toward the roller surface to prevent premature removal of the toner.

Abstract: An apparatus including and a method using a fixing device including a fixing member, a pressure member, a heater, and a pressure controller. The fixing member and the pressure member face with each other to form a nip. The heater heats a surface of the fixing member when the fixing member rotates. The pressure controller is configured to change a pressure generated at the nip, according to an operation of the fixing device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus equipped with an image bearing member, a latent electrostatic image forming unit which forms a latent electrostatic image on the image bearing member, a developing unit which develops the latent electrostatic image by using a toner to form a toner image, a transfer fixing member which is roll shaped or belt shaped and bears the toner image , a heating unit which heats the toner image on the transfer fixing member; and a pressurizing member which is roll shaped and forms a transfer fixing nip with the transfer fixing member. The toner image on the transfer fixing member is transferred and fixed simultaneously to a recording medium which passes through the transfer fixing nip to record an image on the recording medium.

Abstract: A developing device includes a toner carrying member and an electric-field forming unit. The electric-field forming unit forms electric fields having different characteristics at a first area of the surface of the toner carrying member located within a developing area and a second area of the surface of the toner carrying member located out of the developing area such that a hopping height of toner at the first area is higher than that at the second area.

Abstract: A developing unit includes a brush member that includes a base member and a plurality of raisings that are erected on a surface of the base. The brush member traps toner within the raisings and causes a flicker movement in the raisings of the brush so that the toner trapped within the raisings is shaken and flown due to the flicker movement to the surface of a toner carrying member.