Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; an exposing unit that exposes the image carrier to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a developing unit that has at least a toner, and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier as a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred on the recording medium; an exposure-energy modulating unit that modulates exposure energy of the exposing unit; and a development-time detecting unit that detects operation time of the developing unit. The exposure-energy modulating unit modulates the exposure energy based on a result of detection by the development-time detecting unit.

Abstract: A developing unit for an image forming apparatus including an agent carrying member, a supply compartment, a supply screw, a recovery compartment, a recovery screw, an agitation compartment, and an agitation screw. The agent carrying member carries and supplies developing agent to an image carrying member. The supply screw in the supply compartment supplies the developing agent to the agent carrying member. The recovery screw in the recovery compartment, provided under the agent carrying member, transports the developing agent dropped from the agent carrying member. The agitation screw in the agitation compartment receives the developing agent from the supply compartment and recovery compartment, and transports the developing agent to the supply compartment. The recovery compartment, supply compartment, and agitation compartment are provided side-by-side in a horizontal direction. A magnetic flux density in a given area of the agent carrying member is set to 10 mT or less.

Abstract: An image forming method and apparatus includes a first image carrying member, a first transfix unit, a second image carrying member, and a second transfix unit. The first image carrying member carries a first toner image thereon. The first transfix unit receives the first toner image from the first image carrying member and transfers and fixes the first toner image onto a first face of a recording sheet with a heat effect. The second image carrying member carries a second toner image thereon. The second transfix unit receives the second toner image from the second image carrying member and transfers and fixes the second toner image onto a second face of the recording sheet with a heat effect.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention frees images from various defects including the thinning of horizontal lines, the omission of the trailing edge of an image, background contamination, granularity particular to a halftone image, carrier scattering, and image noise. Further, the apparatus of the present invention solves problems ascribable to patches used to sense image density. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention faithfully reproduces tonality and has a high developing ability.

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 includes an image carrier; an exposing unit that exposes the image carrier to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a developing unit that has at least a toner, and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier as a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred on the recording medium; an exposure-energy modulating unit that modulates exposure energy of the exposing unit; and a development-time detecting unit that detects operation time of the developing unit. The exposure-energy modulating unit modulates the exposure energy based on a result of detection by the development-time detecting unit.

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: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention frees images from various defects including the thinning of horizontal lines, the omission of the trailing edge of an image, background contamination, granularity particular to a halftone image, carrier scattering, and image noise. Further, the apparatus of the present invention solves problems ascribable to patches used to sense image density. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention faithfully reproduces tonality and has a high developing ability.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention frees images from various defects including the thinning of horizontal lines, the omission of the trailing edge an image, background contamination, granularity particular to a halftone image, carrier scattering, and image noise. Further, the apparatus of the present invention solves problems ascribable to patches used to sense image density. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention faithfully reproduces tonality and has a high developing ability.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light emitting array composed of a plurality of light emitting elements that emits light fluxes. An imaging element array may be provided so as to perform imaging with the light fluxes on a prescribed plane. A three dimensional exposure intensity distribution of the light flux is obtained per each light emitting element. A prescribed attribute is obtained from each of the exposure intensity distributions. A plurality of comparison values for the entire exposure valid region may be obtained from different units which consist of two or more successive attributes. Prescribed light emitting quantities enabling all of the comparison values to fall within a prescribed range may be determined and set to respective light emitting elements.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image carrier including a conductive support, at least a photoconductive layer formed on the conductive support, and a surface protection layer formed on the photoconductive layer and including a charge injection layer. Also included is a charge member for charging the image carrier in contact with the surface protection layer when applied with a voltage. Further, the surface protection layer has a diamond-like structure or an amorphous structure containing hydrogen with a volume resistance of 109 &OHgr;·cm to 1012 &OHgr;·cm and a Knoop hardness of 400 Kg/mm2 or greater, and the charging member includes magnetic particles for charging having a mean particle size ranging from 20 &mgr;m to 150 &mgr;m. Also, a light transmission of the surface protective layer is 50% or more of a wavelength of light used for exposing the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image carrier having a conductive support, at least a photoconductive layer formed on the conductive support, and a surface protection layer formed on the photoconductive layer and including a charge injection layer. Also included is a charging member for charging the image carrier in contact with the surface protection layer when applied with a voltage, and a developing unit for developing a latent image formed on the image carrier with toner to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. Further, the surface protection layer has a diamond-like carbon structure or an amorphous structure containing hydrogen, the developing unit develops the latent image with a magnet brush formed by magnetic particles for development, and the charging member includes magnetic particles for charging having a mean particle size smaller than a mean particle size of the magnetic particles for development.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive element including a conductive support rotatably supported and a charge injection layer and a surface protection layer sequentially laminated on the conductive support. A charger includes a conductive body for injecting, when a preselected voltage is applied thereto, a charge in the charge injection layer in contact with the surface protection layer. A writing unit exposes the charged surface of the photoconductive element imagewise to thereby locally vary the potential deposited on the photoconductive element and electrostatically form a latent image. A developing unit develops the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. The toner image is transferred from the photoconductive element to a recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive element including a conductive support rotatably supported and a charge injection layer and a surface protection layer sequentially laminated on the conductive support. A charger includes a conductive body for injecting, when a preselected voltage is applied thereto, a charge in the charge injection layer in contact with the surface protection layer. A writing unit exposes the charged surface of the photoconductive element imagewise to thereby locally vary the potential deposited on the photoconductive element and electrostatically form a latent image. A developing unit develops the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. The toner image is transferred from the photoconductive element to a recording medium.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention frees images from various defects including the thinning of horizontal lines, the omission of the trailing edge an image, background contamination, granularity particular to a halftone image, carrier scattering, and image noise. Further, the apparatus of the present invention solves problems ascribable to patches used to sense image density. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention faithfully reproduces tonality and has a high developing ability.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light emitting array composed of a plurality of light emitting elements that emits light fluxes. An imaging element array may be provided so as to perform imaging with the light fluxes on a prescribed plane. A three dimensional exposure intensity distribution of the light flux is obtained per each light emitting element. A prescribed attribute is obtained from each of the exposure intensity distributions. A plurality of comparison values for the entire exposure valid region may be obtained from different units which consist of two or more successive attributes. Prescribed light emitting quantities enabling all of the comparison values to fall within a prescribed range may be determined and set to respective light emitting elements.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive element including a conductive support rotatably supported and a charge injection layer and a surface protection layer sequentially laminated on the conductive support. A charger includes a conductive body for injecting, when a preselected voltage is applied thereto, a charge in the charge injection layer in contact with the surface protection layer. A writing unit exposes the charged surface of the photoconductive element imagewise to thereby locally vary the potential deposited on the photoconductive element and electrostatically form a latent image. A developing unit develops the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. The toner image is transferred from the photoconductive element to a recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image support which supports an electrostatic latent image on a surface of the image support. A developing unit has a developing agent support which retains a developing agent, including a toner and carriers, contained in the developing unit. The developing unit converts the latent image on the image support into a toner image by causing the toner to adhere to the surface of the image support. A developing bias supplying unit supplies a developing bias voltage to the developing agent support of the developing unit, the developing bias voltage being one of a DC bias voltage and an AC bias voltage. A timer measures a non-driven period of the developing agent in the developing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention is capable of forming an oscillation electric field in a developing region on the basis of the particle size of toner and the particle size of magnetic carrier. Assume that the oscillation electric field includes a phase for causing the toner to move toward a latent image and having a duration t.sub.1, that the electric field has a period T, that the toner has a weight-average particle size of L.sub.t, and that the carrier has a weight-average particle size of L.sub.c. Then, there hold a relation of 1.0.times.10.sup.-4 <t.sub.1.sup.2 /L.sub.t <1.0.times.10.sup.-3 ?sec.sup.2 /m! and a relation of T.sup.2 /L.sub.c <0.005 ?sec.sup.2 /m!. The apparatus insures images with uniform dots and including a minimum of noise.

Abstract: A laminograph including, a radiation source for generating radiation towards a subject, a radiation surface sensor device with a two-dimensional resolution, fitted opposite to the radiation source for detecting the radiation from the radiation source which has passed through the subject, a scanning device for moving the subject to take a plurality of different positions between the radiation source and the radiation surface sensor device and for scanning the subject in each of the different positions by the radiation from the radiation source.